The Hawk and the Hound
by Alias82
Summary: A story about Pharah and a new addition to the Overwatch team. Pharah had joined the new generation of Overwatch but is unsure if it will live up to her expectations. When a new member joins the team, Pharah will discover just what she fears most, as well as several other surprising feelings. -Rated M for mature and dark content
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Starting Anew

Pharah had only been in the Overwatch Gibraltar for a few hours but already she was beginning to reminisce. When she was a young girl, her mother often took her on excursions around the base to show her the wonders of what Overwatch did. Many a day was filled with happy smiles and gleeful activities as the young egyptian girl named Fareeha Amari became part of the close knit Overwatch family. As she grew older, Pharah eagerly looked forward to the day she too could join Overwatch and help make the world a better place. But one day it all came crashing down. The destruction of the Swiss Overwatch headquarters shocked the world and dealt a terrible blow to the surviving members as they learned their Commander Morrison was dead along with many others. But nothing compared to the gut wrenching feeling of despair when Pharah was told her mother was killed in action.

Try as they might, the remaining members of her Overwatch family could do nothing to raise her spirits. As if to add insult to injury, soon after the United Nations signed the Petras act. Disbanding Overwatch and labeling any future Overwatch actions as illegal. The heartbroken Fareeha returned to egypt to live with different extended family members. Gone was the happy and exuberant girl, replaced by a cold and cynical child. As she grew older, Pharah eventually came to terms with her past and decided to honor her mother and Overwatch family by becoming a protector of the innocent. As soon as she reached enlistment age, Pharah joined the egyptian army. Over the years, Pharah quickly climbed the ranks. Becoming an officer well known for her combat skills and dedication to the protection of others.

Eventually, Pharah left the army and joined the Helix Security International combat unit guarding the A.I. research facility hidden beneath the Giza Plateau. One day, Pharah received a call from someone she thought she would never see again. Winston called Pharah telling her of the Overwatch recall and extended the offer of joining. Pharah could not agree fast enough and soon after arrived at the Watchpoint Gibraltar base. Stepping into the base after so many years brought a wave of emotion crashing down on her, but she refused to let anyone see that weak side of her. She was no longer a little girl. She was Fareeha "Pharah" Amari, daughter of Ana Amari who was also one of the leaders of the past Overwatch.

As soon as she had stepped off the dropship, she was pulled into a massive bearhug by the equally massive german juggernaut known as Reinhardt. After exchanging greetings and being subjected to a slightly embarrassing monologue about how she had grown into a fine woman and warrior, Pharah went off to find the rest of the new team. Winston, Torbjorn, Tracer, Mei, and Mcree were almost exactly the same as she remembered (albeit a little older). Mercy was ecstatic that Pharah had joined, barely stopping herself from crying as the two caught up and exchanged compliments. Walking past the common room, Pharah saw three of the new additions to the team. The small and spunky girl Hana who goes by her moniker of DVa. The tall and robust Russian woman known as Zarya. Along with the elegant and calculating woman known as Symmetra.

Soon after, Pharah was passing by the testing field when she discovered Roadhog and Junkrat. To say she was displeased was an understatement, the two mercenaries were nothing but criminal thugs to her and she did not make any attempt to introduce herself. After finally moving her belongings into her room in the women dorm area, Pharah sat down on her bed and stared out the window at the setting sun. The new era of Overwatch was one she was not sure how to feel about. One part of her was happy that she was finally able to join the Overwatch family as an active member, but the other part was unsure about the direction it was going. If Winston had stooped low enough to hire mercenaries, Pharah knew it spoke volumes about how bad the current situation was. Flopping back onto her bed, Pharah closed her eyes and allowed herself a small smile. "It's good to be back."

* * *

Hello all! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction story so go a little easy on me. I like Pharah as a character and wanted to make a pairing that was different than the usual ships. Feel free to comment/review.


	2. Chapter 2

Pharah sat up from her bed and yawned. Looking around at her room she took a moment to ponder what she hoped would be a new chapter of her life. Standing up, she yawned and stumbled over to the small bathroom. Running a hand through her mussed onyx black hair, she went about her daily morning ritual. Brushing her teeth, splashing water on her face, and brushing her hair. Once done, she walked back out to her room and opened up one of her suitcases. She had not bothered to unpack when she arrived, instead enjoying wandering the base and catching up with old friends. Pulling out a pair of black jeans and a tan egyptian army t-shirt, she quickly pulled off her blue pajamas and changed. Just as she had finished, someone knocked on her door. Opening it up, Pharah was greeted by the smiling face of Mercy. "Fareeha! I was hoping you would join me for breakfast?" Smiling back, Pharah nodded. "I would love to". Mercy's usual ponytail bobbed as they walked to the cafeteria. "It is so wonderful to have you back! You have no idea how much I missed you. Its like a long lost sister has finally come back to the family". Pharah chuckled, "it is nice to be back. But finally as an active member. I missed you too Angela, I tried contacting you a few times over the years but never seemed to get a hold of you". Arriving at the cafeteria, the pair grabbed their trays of scrambled eggs and hashbrowns. Jesse Mcree poked his head out of the kitchen and waved, his usual cowboy hat on his head. "Mornin' ladies! I decided to whip up a little somethin for the gang. Can't always have the kitchen bots make their usual slop." Angela smiled and nodded, "thank you Jesse. It is always nice to have a handmade meal every now and then." Pharah simply nodded her thanks as the two sat down at a table with Winston and Tracer.

Winston was slowly eating his food as he studied a binder opened up on the table in front of him. On the other hand, Tracer was digging into her plate with gusto, occasionally taking large gulps from her cup of coffee. Looking up, Tracer beamed at the duo and waved with her fork. "Morning luvs! You both sleep well?" Mercy nodded as she slowly savored her cup of fresh coffee as Pharah inspected a hash brown. "Good morning to you too Tracer. I slept quite soundly." Pharah, deciding to take the risk with Mcree's cooking, took a small bite of the hashbrown. "I slept adequately." Looking up from his binder, Winston adjusted his glasses with a massive hand and greeted Mercy and Pharah. Good morning you two. I hope you are acclimating well Pharah." Pharah was about to respond when Junkrat and Roadhog walked in having a loud conversation. "I tell ya Roadie! Lemme stick some bombs to that hook of yours! I swear nothing bad will happen like last time!" Roadhog simply grunted a negative as the two junkers filled up their trays and sat down at a table to eat.

Pharah's look of disdain was quite obvious as she glared daggers at the two junkers. "Winston, while I understand the need for more members, why in the hell would you hire lowlife criminals?!" Winston sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Pharah...while I understand your...concerns. We need their expertise. While they certainly don't look like it, both are quite talented. Junkrat is a master of explosives and Roadhog is very effective in close combat." Huffing in frustration, Pharah began eating her eggs as she continued to watch the two mercenaries. "I will work with them if I must...but I am making it clear I do not trust either of them in the slightest." Knowing that this was probably the best response he would get, Winston stayed silent and returned to studying his binder. Shortly after, Tracer finished her food and quickly stood up. "Well I am off to go for a run. Cheers!" Disappearing in a streak of blue light, Tracer nearly knocked over DVa walking into the cafeteria. "Whoops! Sorry bout that Hana!" The bedraggled small woman simply grunted and trudged over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a large cup and sitting next to Mercy. With a knowing smirk on her face, Mercy looked over at the diminutive korean girl. "Another late night Hana?" Groaning and laying her head on the table, DVa yawned. "I know I know...but it was for a good reason! Some jerkwad was trashtalking about me on his stream last night, so I had to defend my honor by crushing him in a one on one." Mercy stifled a small giggle and patted the diminutive girl's head.

Finishing her breakfast, Pharah disposed of her trash and waved goodbye to Mercy. Deciding to go do a maintenance check on her armor and weapons, Pharah walked over to the armory/workshop. Inside, the sound of Torbjorn's cursing was supplemented by Symmetra's accented voice. Walking inside, Pharah watched as Torbjorn angrily kicked a half melted turret as Symmetra watched. "I told you Torbjorn, overloading the turret's power supply, even in short bursts, will only cause problems. The squat swedish man growled and waved a dismissive hand at the criticism. "Ya don't know that...well...right now you're right. But still! Overclocking the core the right way would give it a great boost of power for a short time! Why don't ya stick to yer fancy light creations and let me work in peace." Rolling her eyes, Symmetra turned to look at Pharah. "Greetings agent Pharah." With that, Symmetra turned back to her work station and began pouring over several blueprints. Giving a curt nod in response, Pharah walked over to the armor rack where her armor was kept. Looking up from his broken turret, Torbjorn gave Pharah a happy wave with his claw. "Mornin Pharah! You need any help with that armor of yers?" Pharah shook her head, "thank you but no, I have been trained in the maintenance and upkeep required." Shrugging, Torbjorn turned back to his turret. Mumbling to himself as he examined it.

Retrieving the required tools and supplies, Pharah went to work. The task of working on her armor was sort of a calming ritual for Pharah. Each piece had its own purpose and use. When put together correctly, the armor functioned at peak capacity. The routine of cleaning and oiling each piece was almost second nature to Pharah. Her body carrying out the actions almost instinctively, allowing Pharah to slip into an almost zen-like state. Time quickly passed as Pharah worked, her surrounding almost forgotten. Suddenly, she was snapped out of her revery by the sound of Winston's voice coming out of the base loudspeakers. "All Overwatch agents report to the briefing room. I repeat, all agents report to the briefing room." Quickly putting her armor back together, Pharah left the workshop and quickly strode to the briefing room. She was one of the first to arrive and she took a chair close the the podium. In short order the rest of the members arrived and took their seats. Soon after, Winston walked in and took his spot at the podium. The lights dimmed and a holographic display popped up next to Winston.

"I have just received important information that needs to be acted on immediately. Athena intercepted a highly encrypted Talon transmission that we were able to decipher. Apparently a high-ranking Talon agent has gone rogue." Excited whispers broke out among those assembled, Talon was known for having an almost fanatical following. The news of an enemy agent turning against the terrorist organization was unheard of. "He has been captured and is going to be transported to an interrogation facility. This obviously is a very big deal. We have never been able to capture a Talon agent alive, and this one might actually willingly divulge classified information to us." The display changed to one of a map with a highlighted route. "The agent is being transported by armored convoy in the american southwest region. Our best chance is to ambush the convoy in transit. The following agents will be part of the mission. Junkrat, Roadhog, Mercy, Mcree, Torbjorn, and Pharah. We leave within the hour, dismissed."

The lights came back on and everyone quickly left the room. Walking briskly to her room,

Pharah quickly changed into her bodysuit under armor and went to the workshop. Inside, Torbjorn was hastily assembling his gear, simply giving Pharah a nod in greeting. Walking over to the armor rack, Pharah quickly donned her armor and grabbed her rocket launcher. The anticipation of the upcoming battle thrummed through her veins as the excitement built within her. Her first official mission of Overwatch and she was determined to carry it out perfectly.

The afternoon sun beat down on Pharah as she watched the road from her vantage point. Crouched on a rocky outcropping on a cliff above the road, Pharah watched the road vigilantly. Below her, Junkrat was finishing placing his mines as Torbjorn finished constructing his two turrets. The plan was to disable the lead vehicle of the convoy first, causing it to block the road of the narrow pass. Mcree, Roadhog, and Mercy waited behind a burned out husk of a tanker truck and would rush out to extract the prisoner. Pharah was to cover the extraction team and provide backup against enemy forces. The sound of Mercy sighing in discomfort sounded over the comms. "Ugh! I forgot how much I dislike the heat. This waiting is insufferable, I should have applied sunscreen…" Torbjorn grunted in agreement, "aye, I feel like I am swimming in my sweat under my armor." Mcree chuckled, "aw you will survive darlin. A little sun never hurt anyone. Hell you might even get a tan." Junkrat cackled as he listened in. "Oi I dunno what you talkin about mate. This aint nuthin compared to straya!" Roadhog grunted in agreement as the group continued to chatter. Pharah simply sighed and kept watch on the road, living in the egyptian climate for many years meant she was all but immune to the heat.

Suddenly, Pharah's hud on her visor gave an alert as the first convoy vehicle appeared in the distance. "Convoy spotted, approaching quickly. Estimated time of arrival is ten minutes." The team quickly ceased their chatting and a tense silence fell over them. The rumble of engines quickly grew louder as the convoy rounded the bend. The lead vehicle was a heavily armored black SUV, followed by a large cargo truck and another armored SUV taking up the rear. The lead vehicle rolled over Junkrat's landmine and erupted in a fiery explosion, causing Junkrat to let loose a happy cackle. "Blokes never knew what hit them!" The cargo truck screeched to a stop as the talon soldiers of the SUV leapt out with guns drawn. Bursting from their hiding place, the extraction team rushed the cargo truck as Torbjorn's turret fired on the soldiers. Adding her own rockets to the barrage, Pharah watched as the soldiers were quickly eliminated. The back of the cargo truck burst open and even more talon soldiers joined the fray. Firing quick and accurate shots with his revolver, several soldiers crumpled to the ground with holes in their heads. With a roar, Roadhog swung his hook forwards, skewering a talon soldier and blasting another with his massive shotgun. Unnoticed by the extraction team, the driver of the truck jumped out behind them and raised his gun at Mercy's back. Deciding not to risk collateral damage with her rocket launcher, Pharah leapt from the cliff and dive-bombed the driver with a yell. Looking up in surprise, the driver let out a cry of terror as Pharah flared her jump jets at the last second and crushed the man with an armored knee. The driver crumpled to the ground under Pharah's weight as Mercy whirled around. "Thank you Pharah!" Rising from the ground, Pharah simply nodded as Mcree jumped into the back of the truck. "Gonna need your help doc! This guy is busted up pretty bad!" Rushing to the back, Mercy helped Mcree lower a man with a black hood over his head out of the truck. The man's black clothes were stained with blood and his left arm hung limply at his side, clearly broken. Keying her comm, Pharah watched as Mercy began tending to the prisoner. "Tracer this is Pharah, target secured, requesting extraction." Tracer replied with a peppy cheer. "You got it luv! Be there in five!"

The mood on the ride back to the base was very upbeat. Junkrat and Torbjorn were comparing notes on explosive devices as Mcree and Roadhog simply napped. Pharah watched as Mercy tended to the injured man. The hood had been removed to reveal a severely injured face. The man had obviously been worked over prior to being transported, as his nose was broken, a big black bruise covered his eye, and his lip was split open. One distinguishing feature was what appeared to be a large burn scar that went from the right side of his neck to just under his mouth. Other than that, he looked relatively normal. Brown hair in a standard military style crew cut, tall lean but muscular frame, and a slight covering of stubble on his chin. Mercy sighed as she sat back and looked down at the man laying in front of her. Her staff had healed most of the severe damage, but a smaller bruise still remained. "I have healed the most severe damage, but he is still unconscious. I do not want to risk waking him up without proper monitoring equipment." Pharah simply nodded along as she studied the man, he did not look like much. "He better be worth the trouble, Talon will be even more careful and treacherous knowing we captured him." Mercy looked up at Pharah and shrugged, "I think we saved man who realized what he was part of was wrong. Standing up to Talon by himself is very brave, I believe we can give him that much." Taking out a pair of cloth scissors, Mercy cut open the man's shirt and tossed it to the side. Looking down, Mercy gasped. "Mein gott!" On the middle of the man's chest, a large vertical scar went from just under his collarbone and stopped just above his navel. "This is...this is from invasive open chest surgery! And he was subjected to this several times based on the thickness of the scar. What has Talon done to him?" Frowning, Pharah noticed something on the man's pectoral. "Is that a tattoo?" Mercy bent closer to inspect it.

"Subject...82...what could that mean?" Suddenly the man's eyes burst open. With a feral growl, his hand shot up to grab Mercy's neck. As Mercy let out a strangled cry, Pharah leapt off the bench at the man. ""GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Pharah's shout roused Mcree and Roadhog. Mcree quickly sprang into action as Pharah pulled Mercy away, pinning the man to the floor. "Woah! Calm down there buddy!" The man thrashed violently as her tried to escape Mcree's hold. His eyes wild and feral as he huffed in panic. As quickly as it started, the man stopped his thrashing as his eyes rolled back and passed out. Holding down the man for a few moments longer, Mcree let go and tipped his head back. "Whew! He is a fighter alright! You ok doc?" Mercy let out several coughs as she sucked air back in, Pharah protectively holding her. "I am fine, thank you both for your help." Pharah glared at the unconscious man, "we should throw him out of the dropship, attacking his savior." Mercy put a hand on Pharah's shoulder, "hold on Fareeha. I am sure he did not mean it. I can only imagine what Talon has subjected his to, it is a natural defensive response." Pharah slightly relaxed but still kept an eye on the man. "Tracer, tell Winston we need to prepare a room to hold this man."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Pharah watched the mysterious man sleep via a large monitor outside the hastily made cell. Winston had decided to use one of the abandoned storerooms in the lower levels of the base to hold their "guest". The man laid in a rolling gurney, his right arm handcuffed to one of the metal railings. A simple heartbeat monitor was hooked up to him and a saline IV drip was in his left forearm. The team was both excited and apprehensive about the mystery man.

Mcree told everyone about the little incident on the ride back but reminded the team not to judge too quickly. "Fella has probably been through hell these last few days. I don't blame him for freakin out when he woke up surrounded by strangers."

Symmetra had assisted Winston in assembling a security system for the makeshift holding cell. Several of her hard-light turrets attached to the ceiling and walls kept a constant vigil as a simple video monitoring system was put in place. Everyone had been assigned guard shifts to let Winston know when the man woke up. The past eight hours had been the same, the man slept soundly, the only noise coming from the methodical beeping of the heartbeat monitor.

Now changed into a simple Overwatch blue shirt and sweatpants outfit, Pharah mulled over what the future held in store. "This man is dangerous, no question about it. While we might be able to learn valuable information about Talon, I do not trust him...yet."

Looking back up at the monitor, Pharah nearly jumped in surprise. The man was awake and alert, sitting up in the bed and examining his surroundings. Keying her communicator, Pharah tried to keep her tone cool and neutral. "Winston, the prisoner is awake."

News spread quickly through the base and soon everyone was crowded into the hallway outside the room. "You know...he is actually kinda hot...disregarding the whole being a Talon agent thing." Several people looked at DVa with varying expressions of disbelief as she shrugged. "What? Just bein honest." The lumbering footsteps of Winston heralded his arrival. "Ok everyone, this is an important part of Overwatch history. We cannot afford to mess this up. No matter what may happen in there remain calm. Mcree, you will accompany me. Between the two of us we will be able to handle anything he might try." Mcree stepped forward and nodded, You got it boss."

Opening the steel door, Winston and Mcree walked inside and closed the door behind them. Turning to watch the monitor, everyone let out sounds of surprise. The man had somehow escaped his handcuff restraints and was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at Winston. If Winston or Mcree were surprised they did not show it, Winston calmly sat down at a simple desk as Mcree stood in a corner.

The man pulled at his blue Overwatch sweatshirt, inspecting the logo on the front. Winston placed a recording device on the desk and turned it on as he pulled out a datapad. "Hello, do you know where you are?" The man nodded, "Overwatch base Gibraltar, currently listed publicly as abandoned. Unofficially the base is now in active use." His surprisingly smooth and slightly deep voice was calm and collected, a vast difference from the wild and panicked display on the dropship.

Several people murmured apprehensively as he revealed this information. Winston simply made a note on his pad and continued. "What is your name?" The man was silent for a moment, as if deciding whether to answer or not. "Erik Maupin, designation Hellhound". Junkrat laughed, "these blokes! Reaper, Widowmaker, Hellhound. Its like they are trying to win the edgiest team names award or somethin".

Winston made another note and continued on. "How much do you know about Overwatch?" Hellhound simply gave a blank stare. "Overwatch, officially disbanded by the Petras act." A small smirk appeared on Hellhound's face as he looked at Mcree. "Jesse Mcree, former member of american gang known as Deadlock. After being captured by Overwatch, Mcree was made an agent of blackwatch under the command of Gabriel Reyes. Specializes in pistol marksmanship." Mcree's eyebrows lifted in surprise as Hellhound revealed the confidential blackwatch information.

"I have studied all current and former Overwatch agent profiles. Current members include Hana Song, Reinhardt Wilhelm, Fareeha Amari, Angela Ziegler, Mei-Ling Zhou, Lena Oxton, Aleksandra Zaryanova, Torbjorn Lindholm, and hired mercenaries codenames Symmetra, Junkrat, and Roadhog." Everyone watching was in a stunned silence, this man had just listed all of them off the top of his head. They thought they had kept their current involvement in Overwatch a secret, but this man had proved them all wrong.

Even Winston sat in silence, his brow furrowed as he processed this information. "Do you know how Talon came to possess this information?" Hellhound shrugged uncaringly, "no I was simply briefed on current Overwatch members and activities as well as strategies and countermeasures to employ to facilitate the elimination of you all in combat."

Winston sighed heavily, "very well. It is clear Talon is more informed than we thought." As he was about to ask the next question, Hellhound raised his hand to stop him from talking. "I refuse to answer anymore questions. I request that you either release me or execute me, quickly and painlessly if possible." The audience outside let out various sounds of disbelief at how calm Hellhound was requesting his death. Winston tilted his head to the side in confusion, "why would we kill you?" Hellhound rolled his eyes, "it is standard practice. After obtaining all useful information from a prisoner you kill them. No sense leaving loose ends."

Winston growled in anger and stood up, "I dont know why you think Overwatch would do that. We are not Talon, we treat our prisoners humanely and with respect." For the first time, Hellhound let out a dry laugh. "Overwatch may have morals...but Blackwatch did not." Winston turned to face Mcree, but his face fell when Mcree simply looked at the floor. "He….he aint wrong boss…"

The shock and disbelief was palpable outside, especially amongst the former agents. Mercy seemed to take the news especially hard, her face twisted in mix of despair and betrayal. Tracer simply let out a defeated sigh as Torbjorn growled in frustration. Pharah felt a storm of emotions boil up inside her, seeing Mcree's admission of guilt made her want to scream in frustration. He was someone she looked up to! Like a goofy, protective older brother. But hearing Mcree admit to killing prisoners, it made her question just how far Overwatch went to protect others.

After several tense minutes of silence, Winston sat back down. "We will not kill you, but we will turn you over to the proper authorities." Hellhound gave Winston a venomous glare, "then you may as well condemn me to torture and a slow death. Talon will not simply forget what I have done, especially after I willingly gave you information." Winston paused and stroked his chin, realizing that what the man said was the truth. Mcree stepped forward and put a hand on Winston's shoulder. "Boss there is another solution. He can join us."

Snapping everyone out of their silence, Mcree's proposal was met with a storm of varying opinions. "What the hell?! That guy is a murderer!" Tracer stared at the screen in disbelief as Pharah nodded, "agreed, he has no right to join us." Mercy was silent before letting out a small voice, "I do not think we should be so quick to condemn this man. He could be a powerful teammate." Junkrat nodded in agreement, "Doc is right, this bloke looks tough as nails. Bet he is also itching for revenge, I mean Winston hired me and Roadie."

As the group bickered outside, Winston mulled over Mcree's proposal. "Alright Jesse, we will let him join us. But consider him on probation. He will be monitored at all times and you will be responsible for his actions". Mcree smiled and tipped his hat, "thanks boss, I have a good feeling about this fella. Sorta reminds me of myself when I joined." Turning to Hellhound, Mcree out his hands on his hips. "So Mr. Hound, what exactly do you do? Your skills and such?" Hellhound for the first time actually looked surprised. He was silent for a minute, the gears clearly turning in his head as he weighed his options.

Letting out a sigh of defeat, Hellhound nodded. "I accept your offer and agree to your terms. My skills include asset destruction, basic field medicine, terror tactics, area denial, and psychological warfare." Mcree laughed, So basically you were part of a brute squad. Go in, blow shit up, kill everythin, and put the fear of god in Talon's enemies." Hellhound gave Mcree a small grin and nodded, "in layman's terms...yes."

Winston nodded and added several notes to his pad before standing up. "Alright Hellound, consider yourself a prospective Overwatch agent. You will be provided with a room and have access to the basic base facilities. if you wish to access more important or critical areas of the base, you will be put under the supervision of someone. You will have a monitoring device put on you which will stay on you until you have proven yourself trustworthy. Is this acceptable?" Hellhound simply nodded, "yes." Winston gave a curt nod. "Good, after you have been outfitted with a monitoring device, report to the medical bay for a checkup."

Leaving the room with Mcree in tow, Winston was bombarded by questions, expletives, and angry remarks. Holding up his hands to quiet the crowd, Winston rose up to his full height and put on his best commanding tone. "I understand all of your concerns but the decision has been made, you will all treat Hellhound like any new recruit. Do not give him a reason to reject our hospitality and possible cause problems". Winston trudged off as the crowd dispersed, soon only Pharah was left as she stared at the monitor.

A few hours later, Hellhound was sitting in the medical bay as Mercy prepared to examine him. A metal collar had been tightly placed on his neck, acting as both a monitoring device and capable of delivering an incapacitating electric shock. Mercy now dressed in her white labcoat, went about setting up various medical devices as Pharah stood nearby. Pharah was fine leaving Hellhound alone, but she refused to leave Mercy alone with him. Pharah made it clear with her body language and facial expression that she did not trust Hellhound at all. Hellhound either was ignoring her or simply did not notice Pharah's suspicious attitude. "Alright Hellhound, please take off your shirt and lie down." The man nodded and quickly took off his shirt and reclined on the examination table. Pharah maintained her vigil over Mercy as she watched, but her eyes were drawn to the man's torso.

Aside from the large vertical scar and tattoo, Hellhound's chest was surprisingly free of blemishes. His chest muscles were clearly defined without being overly pronounced, he had a firm and smooth stomach with a faint outline of six-pack abs, and his waist had the definitive V-shape leading under the top of his pants. Realizing she was staring, Pharah mentally slapped herself and grit her teeth. "What is wrong with you?! He is the enemy! This is no time to be staring...at his...muscles…" Realizing her gaze was once again on Hellhound's shirtless torso, Pharah bit the inside of her lip and forced herself to watch Mercy.

Mercy input a command into a console and a beam of blue light began scanning Hellhound's chest. After a minute of scanning, the results appeared on a screen on the wall next to Mercy. Complete with a three dimensional model and lines of data. Examining the results, Mercy's jaw dropped open in a mix of horror and disbelief. "Mein gott! What did they do to you?!" Curious, Pharah stepped closer. Looking at the model, Pharah noticed several glaringly unnatural parts. What looked like a thin piece of metal was apparently screwed into the base of Hellhound's skull where the spinal column connected. His lungs looked almost like it was covered in a thick layer of rock, while a mesh of some type was wrapped around his heart.

Mercy began absentmindedly began talking to herself as she poured over the scans. "This is...unbelievable! Adrenal gland enhancers, nerve receptor inhibitors, secondary vital organs, what did they do to you?" Pharah scowled as she looked back at Hellhound who was now putting his shirt back on. While she felt no attachment to the man, she did find herself angry over the blatant disregard for his well-being at the hand of Talon. Mercy walked back over to Hellhound and put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to stiffen in apprehension. Mercy's face was full of concern as she examined him. "Do you know what they did to you?"

Hellhound shrugged, "not really. I remember bits and pieces, how they cut me open, dug around in my chest, putting all sorts of things inside me." He tried to suppress a shiver but it still showed, Mercy removed her hand and crossed her arms as she stared at Hellhound with an unreadable look in her eyes. "Well medically speaking you are in perfect health. But I can only guess the purpose of half of your….enhancements. I will need time to study this." Hellhound shrugged and stood up, "your concern is appreciated doctor, but I do not really care. What's done is done, no use worrying about things that cannot be changed."

After Hellhound walked out, Mercy sighed and took off her glasses to run her eyes. "I knew Talon was bad...but human experimentation? I thought Widowmaker was a unique case, but it seems that Talon is expanding their medical operations. If his tattoo is any indication, there are at least 81 others who have suffered the same as him". Pharah stepped close to Mercy and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, causing Mercy to lean against her and sigh. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Mercy removed herself from Pharah and put her glasses back on. "Thank you Fareeha". Pharah smiled warmly and nodded, "anytime Angela."


	4. Chapter 4

Hello all! Back again with a new chapter! Hopefully I can keep up this posting pace but try not to expect this rapid of pace of posting all the time. Life can get crazy but right now I have time and ideas. As always, if you have suggestions, ideas, or comments leave a review!

* * *

Pharah sighed as she flipped her pillow over for what felt like the hundreth time. No matter how much she wanted to sleep her mind simply would not cooperate. Groaning and rolling onto her back, Pharah stared up at the ceiling.

" _Why am I thinking about mother now? I made peace with my past long ago…"_

She did not want to admit it, but returning to Overwatch had dredged up bad memories that had been long buried. Sighing in resignation, Pharah sat up and slipped out of her bed. Her sleeping attire only consisted of a large t-shirt and underwear for her bottom half. Feeling around in the dark, Pharah eventually found her sweatpants and slipped them on.

Exiting her room, Pharah silently padded down the hallway. The laminate floor was comfortably cool under her bare feet as the dimmed overhead lights cast a long shadow behind her. The sound of Zarya's snoring was loud enough to be heard in the hallway, causing Pharah to smile in amusement.

" _I feel bad for Mei, being Zarya's neighbor must be quite frustrating at night."_

Arriving at the kitchen, Pharah opened the large refrigerator and perused the contents. Several tupperware containers filled with various leftovers filled a shelf, above them a bowl of fresh grapes beckoned enticingly. Finding a small plastic bowl in a nearby cupboard, Pharah dumped a third of the grapes from the larger bowl into her own.

Leaving the kitchen, Pharah yawned softly and popped a grape in her mouth as she made her way to the lounge. Approaching the entryway, Pharah noticed the flickering glow of the television emanating from inside. Curiously, Pharah poked her head inside. On the large couch in front of the TV, Hellhound sat watching a news broadcast. Not wanting to interact with the man, Pharah was about to start backing away when Hellhound's voice sounded.

"Hello agent Pharah."

Pharah sighed as Hellhound called out to her, she really did not want to converse with Hellhound but Winston's order of being accommodating floated through her thoughts.

Pharah slowly walked into the room, observing how Hellhound had not moved a muscle the entire time. He was still dressed in the same clothes he had been given when he first arrived. Walking into his field of view, Pharah sat down in a recliner as far away from her new "teammate" as possible. Sneaking a glance, Pharah examined Hellhound as he stared at the broadcast. The glow of the large wall mounted flatscreen bathed his face in soft light, making his face look even paler than usual.

Looking at his face, Pharah studied his features. The clean complexion of his face only made the large scar on his jaw more noticeable. The swath of burned skin was slightly darker and red than the rest of him, the slight ripples and contorted lines of his old injury breaking up the otherwise smooth and healthy skin. Realizing she was staring, Pharah turned her gaze upwards to find Hellhound staring back at her.

Suppressing the slight jolt of surprise, Pharah wordlessly held her gaze, refusing to show any weakness by avoiding his eyes. After a few moments of silence, occasionally broken by the newscaster's voice, Hellhound spoke.

"Do you have trouble sleeping?"

Pharah paused, trying to figure out if his question had any hidden meaning. Deciding it was alright to be honest, Pharah shrugged and broke eye contact with him to watch the TV. "Normally I do not...but tonight my mind is...preoccupied with other thoughts.

Hellhound returned to watching the show as the newscaster began reporting on the latest increase of gang activity in South America. "You should be mindful of your amount of sleep, if you do not sleep the suggested minimum amount of time your combat effectiveness will inevitably decrease."

Pharah huffed and ate a grape, turning to look back at Hellhound. "You are one to talk, seeing as how you are also up at this hour."

Mimicking Pharah's shrug, Hellhound continued to watch the news. "I only require a minimum of three hours of sleep to operate at optimal capacity. Talon's training and conditioning is designed to create the most efficient soldier."

Pharah frowned as she slowly picked through her bowl of fruit. "Why did you join Talon?" The question left her mouth before she realized what she was saying, making mentally groan in frustration. What did it matter? Does she really care about this man's motivations and reasoning?

The question obviously took Hellhound by surprise, his brow furrowing. "I...Do not really know...I only remember small pieces of my life before Talon...they trained me and gave me purpose...I did not have any reason to wonder why they recruited me. Talon's memory wiping technology is very good at what it does."

Pharah listened and rubbed her arm uncomfortably. She did not want to admit it, but she felt a small amount of pity for the man. Talon took away everything that made him his own person, making him rely on Talon for purpose and direction.

"So why did you decide to leave Talon?"

Hellhound paused, clearly weighing his answers. "I...found classified information...about what they did...were doing to me and others. They told us we were making the world better, but after learning what they were making me do...I did not want to be a puppet anymore. Simple as that, I wanted to be my own person. Not being mind-wiped after every mission and being a living tool."

Pharah nodded as she listened, her bowl of grapes all but forgotten. It made sense to her, free will is what made humans, human. "Well...I can understand your reasons."

Hellhound's mouth curled into a snarl as his posture became more aggressive. "Can you? Do you know what it's like to not know your childhood? To be cut open and filled with all sorts of shit? To find out your entire reason for living is to be used as a disposable pawn? No, I don't think you can understand in the slightest."

Standing up, Hellhound stalked out of the room leaving a troubled Pharah alone with the droning voice of the newscaster. " _How dare he! He has no right to talk to me like that! He may have his own problems, but so does everyone else here! For a second I thought he was acting almost….normal."_

Looking down, Pharah realized she had crushed a grape in her hand. Putting the squashed fruit back in the bowl, Pharah wiped her hand on her pants and stood up. Turning off the TV, she made her way back to her room. Carelessly leaving the bowl of grapes on a shelf, she curled up into a ball on her bed. Pharah let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes, eventually she drifted off to sleep, Hellhound's words echoing in her head.

The next day Pharah was in her armor practicing her aerial evasion maneuvers on the firing range. Several training bots let loose a volley of blasts at the flying woman, causing her to pull her rocket launcher close to her chest and execute a quick backwards roll and dive beneath the projectiles.

"Well hot damn Fareeha! Those are some right fancy moves." Hovering in place, Pharah turned around to see Mcree give her a friendly wave. Before she could respond, a bolt from one of the training bots caught her in the ribs. Growling in frustration, Pharah whirled around and blasted the group of bots into scrap with a volley of rockets. Gliding down next to Mcree, Pharah took off her helmet and ran an armored hand through her black hair.

"What are you doing here Mcree? Don't tell me you are actually going to practice for once?"

Mcree chuckled and shook his head, "you know I don't need any practice darlin, naw. I am here to see what Hellhound can do."

Seeing Mcree jerk his thumb over his shoulder, Pharah looked past him. Nearby, Reinhardt was helping Hellhound set down a large black container with a red Talon logo emblazoned on the side. "I took the liberty of acquiring some of Talon's goodies on the convoy mission. Turns out one of them was Hellhound's gear. Lucky us."

Looking around, Pharah noticed that a crowd was starting to gather. It was clear that everyone was curious about Hellhound's abilities since he was very vague during his initial questioning.

Popping open the heavy clasps on the lid of the container, Hellhound began rummaging inside. The first thing he pulled out was an onyx black gauntlet that covered everything from the shoulder down. It had several thin tubes going in and out at various points. But the most noticeable feature was a trio of small canisters arranged in a triangle on the bicep.

Next, Hellhound pulled out several articles of clothing. Showing no sense of modesty, Hellhound pulled off his pants to reveal a pair of grey briefs. Pharah felt her face flush as there were several loud exclamations from the crowd. Looking back, Pharah smirked as she saw Symmetra covering DVa's eyes much to the small girl's annoyance. "It's not like I am a little girl Sym! I know what a naked guy looks like! Plus he has a cute butt!" Symmetra simply berated DVa about morals and how modern youth are ruined by the internet.

Pharah looked back at Hellhound to see had pulled on a pair of thick black pants with combat knee pads. One knee pad was colored flame orange while the other was black with a white hound skull emanating orange and red flames adorning the front. Next he put on a pair of bulky black boots that looked very similar to firefighters boots. The difference being that Hellhound's boots were more bulky and similar to heavy combat footwear.

Next, Hellhound discarded his shirt (much to DVa's delight) and put on a grey skin tight long-sleeved shirt. He then pulled out a thick black coat and put it on, securing the front with magnetic clasps. This piece of clothing was also similar to a firefighter's coat but with several differences. Several orange armor plates were attached to one of the arms, along with several ammo and supply pouches. On the breast, the colorful flaming hound skull patch stood out against the black coat.

The final piece of the outfit was a black helmet that covered the entire head and neck in armor plating. The part covering the nose and mouth was a sinister gas mask device, above it the five red optical "eyes" were recessed into the armor plating (three eyes in a row and two below the three). Sliding the helmet on, the eyes came alive with a bright red glow.

Picking up the gauntlet, Hellhound put it on over his arm and closed a clasp. With a hiss of escaping air, the gauntlet closed over his arm. The cylinders on the gauntlet sparked to life and slowly filled with a viscous glowing orange liquid. Clenching his hand into a fist several times until seemingly satisfied, Hellhound turned around to resume digging around in the container.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves as they examined Hellhound's outfit. "He looks like some kind of ˈdēmən…" Reinhardt murmured to Tracer. "Too right luv, really creepy innit? Specially those eyes." Mcree simply gave an impressed whistle, causing Pharah to look at him and raise a questioning eyebrow. Noticing her look, Mcree shrugged. "Gotta admit, one thing Talon does well is make scary shit. Hell that Reaper guy is bad enough with the skull mask and black smoke."

Finally, Hellhound pulled out a bulky weapon. It appeared to be a rifle of some kind with a matte black finish. At the mouth of the weapon, two barrel muzzles poked out. The top barrel was smaller in diameter while the bottom barrel was thicker and wider. Inspecting and apparently satisfied with its condition, Hellhound flicked a switch. With a low hum the weapon charged up. In the middle of the weapon, a transparent cylinder that appeared to be some sort of core began to glow a dull orange.

Turning to Mcree, the now fully armed and armored Hellhound nodded. "Ready," his voice distorted into a deep gravelly voice while his breathing was harshly amplified and distorted. Mcree grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "alright partner. Have at it with the training bots."

Walking out into the testing range, Hellhound started with the stationary target bots. Pulling the rifle up to his shoulder and aiming down the barrel Hellhound opened fire. With a hiss of superheated air, several orange bolts of energy flew at the first bot. Impacting against the metal chassis, the bolts barely slowed as they melted through the metal with ease and exited the back. "Inferno rifle. Primary fire, effective at medium range, thermal bolts are able to melt through up to half an inch of steel. Highly effective against organic targets and armor. Slightly reduced effectiveness against shields but will eventually overload most shields."

Moving to the next bot, Hellhound stepped closer and fired again. This time the lower barrel boomed loudly and a wide shotgun style spray of flame engulfed the bot. At first the bot seemed unharmed, but the lingering flames eventually caused the internal mechanisms to overheat or melt and soon the bot was a smoking sparking mess. "Secondary fire, effective at close range, reduced penetration in exchange for lasting effect, flames will adhere to targets and burn for a maximum duration of one minute."

Walking over to the hallway with bots that shoot energy blasts, Hellhound lowered his weapon and waited. The bots came to life and let loose a flurry of blasts. Holding up his gauntlet hand with his palm facing forwards, the tubes running along the gauntlet glowed a bright orange. Suddenly flames radiated outwards from his palm creating a circular shield of fire. As the energy blasts collided with the flame shield they simply disappeared in showers of sparks. "Thermal shield, maximum diameter of five feet. Melts or vaporizes most projectiles. Duration lasts a maximum of one minute."

Moving over to the final area filled with various moving bots, Hellhound stood still and held out his gauntlet hand palm upwards. At first it looked like nothing was happening but a bright glow grew steadily brighter in his palm. Slowly but surely, a floating ball of flaming orange liquid grew larger. The liquid levels in the gauntlet's canisters lowering until the miniature sun was around the size of a softball. Pulling his arm back as if throwing a baseball, Hellhound whipped his arm forward and let the ball fly. Landing in the midst of the bots, the ball of fire simply sat on the ground glowing brightly. A few seconds later the ball exploded in a roar of fire. A wave of intense heat washed over the crowd causing many to gasp in surprise. About fifteen feet around where the ball had landed the ground was coated in what looked like liquid fire. The bots that were not incinerated in the initial blast quickly melted into piles of slag.

Staring at the fire, one could hear the smile in Hellhound's voice. "Ultimate attack, codename supernova. Fire burns at roughly 3000 degrees Fahrenheit or 1700 degrees Celsius. Duration lasts a maximum of two minutes." True to his word, a short time later the flaming liquid burned out. All that remained was scorched and blackened ground and the melted remains of the training bots.

Turning around walking back to Mcree, Hellhound stood at standard at ease posture. Taking off his hat, Mcree slowly ran a hand through his hair as he processed what Hellhound just demonstrated.

"THAT WAS FUCKIN AMAZIN MATE! HOWDYA DO THAT?!"

Junkrat pushed his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes gleaming in awe as he excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Mate! If ya show me how to make that flamey stuff I can make some right banger firebombs."

Hellhound looked over at Junkrat and shook his head. "Even if I did know I would not share that information. Sharing the secret to manufacturing these weapons would make my skillset in handling them obsolete."

Mercy also pushed her way to the front of the crowd as well but with an expression of pure anger on her face.

"How can you even think this is acceptable?! These types of weapons have been banned since the first Geneva convention! They are inhumane on a fundamental level and cause immeasurable suffering on their victims!"

Hellhound shrugged uncaringly, "fire is one of the most basic weapons that has been around since the beginning of civilization. It is not only an effective weapon but also instills terror in all but the most battle-hardened enemies. My inferno rifle has perfected a ranged delivery system of incendiary ammunition as well as utilizing fire's natural area denial capabilities."

Mercy spluttered in anger as Mcree held up a hand to calm her. "Look doc, I know what you are saying. No arguin with ya on how nasty fire can be. But right now we can't be picky about what we use to fight Talon. Also it is a bit of twisted irony. Talon created these weapons to terrify us, but now it will be turned against them."

Looking back at Hellhound, Mcree nodded to him. "Hellhound, I will let ya use yer gear on missions but anytime else yer stuff is gonna be locked up three ways to Sunday. Torbjorn! Escort Hound here and lock up his gear."

Hellhound nodded, "I have no problem with that."

Mcree nodded and turned to make a shooing motion at the crowd. "Alright people! Shows over, go back to your usual stuff."

With a loud murmur of varying opinions and feelings the crowd dispersed as Torbjorn walked up to Hellhound and poked him with his claw. "Alright lad follow me. But you try anything funny and you will find out just how many uses this claw has."

Hellhound nodded and followed the squat swedish mechanic into the base. Leaving Pharah with Mcree. Looking over at Pharah, Mcree pulled out a cigar and lit it with a silver lighter. "Penny for yer thoughts Fareeha?"

Pharah let out a slow breath and tucked her helmet under her arm. "While I agree with Mercy about his weapons….I also understand your reasoning. Right now we need every advantage we can take against Talon."

Mcree nodded as he took out his cigar and blew out a cloud of smoke. "Let's just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."

* * *

Added side note: as Depositaire pointed out in his review. Hellhound does sound overpowered. If Hellhound was in the actual game he would definitely be nerfed immediately. In this story, his weapons only look/sound OP. His rifle is good against armor but sucks against any kind of shielding. Also most of his abilities only last for a very short time and are primarily short-ranged. His thermal shield will not stop large lasers/bullets and he has no protection against explosions, only heat. Hope that clears things up a little.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello all! I am really sorry about the late update. I warned you all earlier this might happen but I still apologize to the few of you actually invested in this story. I wanted to make this chapter longer but decided to upload it now so as to stop procrastinating. As always, if you have comments/reviews/suggestions leave a review!

* * *

Pharah sat on a white tarp with all of her armor pieces laid out in front of her. She had just returned from a mission in the South American amazon rainforest and her armor was covered in mud. The mission had been simple reconnaissance, but yielded almost no results. Winston found information hinting at a possible Talon base being built in the jungle and had sent Pharah, Mcree, and Tracer with Mercy waiting on the dropship. They had searched for several hours but found no signs of Talon leaving them all frustrated.

Sighing in resignation, Pharah grabbed a soapy rag from a nearby bucket and returned to scrubbing her armor. Torbjorn sat on the other side of the workshop fiddling with a half constructed turret, occasionally jotting down notes on a pad next to him.

The sound of tapping feet approached the workshop and soon Mercy poked her head through the door.

"Pharah? Could you come with me please?"

Looking up from her muddy armor, Pharah gave Mercy a confused look.

"If you needed me you could have used the announcement system. You do not have to trouble yourself with personally fetching me."

Mercy giggled softly and waved away Pharah's suggestion.

"I needed to get out of the lab and stretch my legs anyways. Are you available?"

Pharah shrugged and put down the armor piece and rag.

"Yes, this is simply cleaning. It can wait."

Standing up and briefly stretching, Pharah followed Mercy out into the corridor. Walking along in silence, Pharah cast a suspicious glance at her friend.

"It is very unlike you to be this quiet. Is something wrong?"

Mercy gave Pharah a smile and shook her head.

"No there is not. Well….depends on your point of view. I forgot how astute you are Fareeha, you always were very sharp. But I cannot explain out here, just follow me."

Frowning slightly at Mercy's vague response, Pharah simply nodded and continued to follow. Soon they arrived at Winston's lab and walked inside. As Mercy closed the door behind them, Pharah examined the small group in front of her. Mcree was leaning back in a chair with his feet propped up on a work table as Winston and Tracer chatted over a cup of tea. Winston looked up from his conversation with Tracer and smiled.

"Thank you for bringing Fareeha here Angela. I am sorry for the cloak and dagger routine but we need to keep this quiet."

Angela nodded and took a seat in a rolling chair as Mcree sat up straight. Pharah looked around and found a rolling stool to sit on as Winston activated a holographic display.

"As a reminder, everything discussed in here is not to leave this room. While I dislike withholding information from the others, this information is too sensitive to entrust with the entire team."

Clicking a remote, the holographic screen changed to show a picture of Hellhound taken when he was first brought in.

"As you all know, Hellhound is a former Talon agent. During his initial questioning I tried to get him to reveal as much information as possible about his role in Talon. Obviously I did not get much, but I did discover some interesting things later. Hellhound is different from most of the Talon operatives we encounter based on the fact that he was subjected to repeated mind wipes. The only other person we know of that received these treatments is Widowmaker, formerly known as Amelie Lacroix."

Winston clicked the remote again and several images of Widowmaker filled the screen.

"Right now Hellhound's most recent mind wipe is still fairly fresh. But over time I am certain the effects will start to wear off. We will need to have him under constant supervision when off base. It is highly likely that several of these repressed memories will be highly traumatic, and we do not want him hurting himself or anyone else."

Clicking the remote, the screen was replaced with a news article about a house fire.

"After searching the name Erik Maupin, only one hint was found. It seems Talon went to great lengths to erase Hellhound's past but left one crumb behind. Apparently, Hellhound's parents died in a house fire. The official police report states that Hellhound died in the fire as well. Also, he was only 12 years old when the fire happened. We can only assume that Talon has had their hands on him ever since."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. The normally chatty Tracer sat in her chair frowning silently at the display as Mcree shook his head sadly. The motherly Mercy was probably the one most affected, her face twisting in frustration as she mulled over the information.

"Is there no level Talon will sink to?! Abducting children?! Just how far are they willing to go to achieve their goals?! Hellhound needs to kno-"

Winston held up his hand and interrupted Mercy mid-sentence.

"Angela, I understand your reasoning but telling Hellhound about his past right now is not a good idea. Forcibly making him remember something traumatic will not go well. You should know that."

Mercy growled under her breath and crossed her arms but remained silent. Clicking to the next set of images, Winston pulled out a laser pointer to highlight his points.

"After reviewing Hellhound's weapons and tactics along with the answers he provided Mcree. I was able to find evidence of several operations most likely involving Hellhound. First, Singapore. A massive explosion erupted in the city killing dozens. Official sources say it was an underground gas line explosion, but after accessing several camera recordings I found otherwise."

Winston highlighted a blurry image from a security camera featuring a group of men dressed in black. One of them carrying something that looked very similar to Hellhound's weapon.

"Out of those killed, one stood out from the rest. An omnic representative from a non-profit health organization was among the dead. It was odd because the explosion occurred in a lower class residential area that was almost solely inhabited by humans. Also apparently the city was planning on accepting the non-profit's offer to build a clinic that catered to both omnics and humans."

Mcree nodded along with Winston's findings.

"Makes sense, Talon loves it when people turn on each other. A clinic for poor humans sponsored by omnics would definitely make some more accepting of omnics."

Winston nodded in agreement and clicked to another set of images and documents. Several pictures showed a block of buildings covered in flames as firefighters tried to put them out.

"This attack happened in Dorado Mexico. The official report is that a gunfight between rival gangs over illegal explosives caused the inferno. Athena was able to access some of the recordings from the security cameras inside the buildings that were recovered by police investigators."

A silent video began to play showing a group of Los Muertos gang members milling about near the backdoor of one of the warehouses. Suddenly several dropped dead as bullets splattered their blood all over the wall behind them. The last thugs were dispatched by several telltale thermal bolts. Hellhound walked into frame followed by three Talon agents wielding suppressed rifles. Motioning to the agents, Hellhound walked inside the warehouse as his team split up and dispersed in different directions.

"This video was the only recording that was salvaged. Clearly Talon had some kind of interest in whatever was going on inside. Over thirty bodies were recovered but there could have been more."

The display closed and Winston turned to face the group. But Pharah spoke up.

"I have a question Winston. Why am I here? Everyone here is a senior member except me, why invite me to this meeting?"

Winston smiled and nodded to Pharah.

"That is actually the next part of this meeting. As you know, Hellhound will need constant supervision while on missions. Since you are the only current member with formal military training I predict Hellhound will be able to relate to you more easily. Something along the lines of soldiers recognizing similar training. I also have faith that should Hellhound turn on us you will be able to effectively subdue him, or if needed neutralise him."

Pharah sat back and frowned. This was an important task for sure and usually Pharah relished opportunities to prove her worth. But right now she was filled with unease. Hellhound is a wildcard and nobody has been able to get a read on what drives the former enemy. However, she was determined to perform her duties with distinction. Sitting up straight, Pharah put on a confident face and nodded to Winston.

"Understood, I will maintain constant observation on him and do whatever is necessary to protect the team."

Winston nodded appreciatively and called out to Athena.

"Athena, please send a message to Reinhardt asking him to bring Hellhound here."

There was a pause then the AI's feminine voice emanated from the room's speakers.

"Message sent, Reinhardt is escorting Hellhound to your location now."

A few minutes passed which was filled with idle chatter between the senior members when the door to the briefing room slid open. Hellhound walked in and stood at parade rest as Reinhardt squeezed his massive bulk inside. Winston stood up straight and stared at Hellhound.

"Hellhound, I have summoned you here to update your requirements for being part of Overwatch. From now on you will follow all orders given to you by any Overwatch member. However orders given by senior Overwatch members take priority over any others. Also, agent Pharah will be your handler on missions. You must always be with her and follow any directions given unless those directions are overridden by a senior member. Should you give us any reason to assume you have become a threat to Overwatch you will be subdued or if needed neutralized. Do you understand?"

Hellhound nodded.

"I understand sir. Follow all directions given and do not leave agent Pharah's side. Unless ordered to by a superior."

Winston was obviously thrown off by being addressed like a military officer but quickly recovered.

"Good, you are dismissed."

Hellhound nodded and followed Reinhardt back out into the hallway. After they left, Mcree let out a chuckle. "Well wasn't that sumthin? Looks like we got our own little soldier. Wonder if I can order him to do my laundry?"

Mercy clicked her tongue at Mcree and gave him a stern stare.

"Jesse I will tell you now not to abuse your authority. While he may be….on probation. Hellhound is still a member of Overwatch."

Mcree held up his hands and smiled.

"I was just kiddin Angela, you know me I aint that much of an ass."

Winston cleared his throat as the holographic projector turned off.

"That is all."

Tracer and Winston stayed in the briefing room to chat while the others left. Mcree and Mercy chatted amicably as Pharah silently pondered her new duty. Passing by the lounge room, the three paused when they heard DVa cursing loudly in korean. Going inside, the trio were greeted by a strange sight. Hellhound sat on the floor holding a game controller as DVa exasperatedly pointed to the the buttons.

"No no! THIS one is crouch, that one is jump, and the other is reload. Cmon Houndy its not that hard."

Hellhound frowned as he fiddled with the controller, his character on the screen running into walls and shooting at it's feet.

"How is one supposed to learn combat tactics through this controller? In Talon there were simulation pods for combat practice."

DVa huffed and pointed to the screen.

"This is not a simulation. It's a game! You know, to have fun and stuff! You never played video games before?"

Hellhound shrugged as his character walked into a pit of lava and wailed as it melted.

"If I did I do not remember. Also, why is there no pain when you fail the mission?"

DVa looked confused as she switched between looking at the screen and Hellhound.

"Umm...what? Why would it hurt when you lose? It's just a game."

Hellhound shrugged again as his character ran into a wall and was eaten by zombies.

"That is how the simulators worked. You win, your skill gets recognized. You fail, you get a painful shock. It drives trainees to win at all costs."

DVa sat in silence as she mulled over the disturbing information. Frowning, she looked at Hellhound with pity in her eyes. After a few moments, she shook her head and put on her best peppy attitude.

"Well you are with Overwatch now! Games are made to be fun! I want you to try and get better at this game kay?"

Hellhound sat up straight and nodded seriously.

"Roger."

He then went back to messing with the controls as DVa looked behind her and saw the three watchers.

"Hey guys! I was showing Houndy here the new Call of Honor game! I figured he would like a fps better than a moba or rpg. Seems like a more hands on kinda guy ya know?"

Mcree, Mercy, and Pharah looked at each other in confusion as DVa spouted off various gaming jargon. Mercy looked back at DVa and gave her a warm smile.

"Well it is nice to see you getting along with Hellhound."

DVa jumped up and bounced over to the three and leaned in so Hellhound could not hear.

"It's also a good way to get to check him out! Have you seen those arms?! God its like they were carved out of marble or something. And get this! I suggested he put on a tighter shirt, yknow for more flexibility or other bullcrap. And he actually did it!"

Mercy had a look of shock as Mcree suppressed a laugh as Pharah rolled her eyes and sighed. Mercy composed herself and tried to give DVa her best stern voice.

"Hana, he is not some….eye candy. He is a member of the team and should be treated wi-"

DVa let out a groan and interrupted Mercy.

"I know I know, it's just harmless stuff. Plus he is as thick as a rock. I tried flirting with him and he just looked all confused. I swear a girl would have to throw herself at him to get his attention or something. Anyways! Imma go back to coaching! Laters!"


	6. Chapter 6

Hello all! I am very sorry for the long absence. I will be honest, I lost interest in my own idea for a little bit. But reading the few comments and reviews inspired me to continue. I made sure to make this chapter a little longer to make up for the long wait (for those of you who actually are following this). Please leave any comments, reviews, or (constructive) criticism. It does mean a lot to this first time writer, thank you!

* * *

Pharah rolled over in her bed and sighed. Looking at her digital clock on the wall, she saw it was almost three in the morning. Stumbling out of bed, Pharah put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt then padded out of her room. As usual, Zarya's thunderous snoring could be heard from the hallway. Walking through the base, she saw the telltale glow of the TV emanating from the lounge. Peeking around the corner, she was surprised at the sight before her.

Hellhound sat on the couch with a game controller in hand. His character on screen now actually moving correctly and shooting various zombies. He was focused entirely on the game so Pharah was able to observe him discreetly. Like DVa had said earlier, Hellhound was wearing a noticeably tight shirt. The fabric clinging to his body and leaving almost nothing to the imagination. After a minute of watching, Pharah realized she had been staring at him the entire time. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she turned to leave.

As she was about to start walking away, Pharah paused. Looking back at Hellhound, she remembered the briefing from earlier. Nodding to herself, Pharah walked into the lounge.

"Hello Hellhound."

Hellhound paused the game and looked over at Pharah.

"Hello agent Pharah. Are you having trouble sleeping again?"

Deciding to be honest, Pharah sat down in a nearby recliner and nodded.

"Yes….yes I am. If you don't mind me asking. Why are you still playing that video game?"

Hellhound looked at the TV and then back to Pharah.

"I am following orders as described by Agent Winston. Agent DVa ordered me to practice and improve my skill at playing this game."

Pharah sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"I do not think Hana was giving you a direct order. More like a suggestion if anything."

Hellhound shrugged and went back to playing the game.

"I have agreed to follow all directions given to me by Agent Winston. I will follow those directives to the letter. Even if you are correct about agent DVa. I would rather be safe than sorry."

Pharah examined Hellhound as he focused on the game. From where she was sitting the burn on his face was not visible. His ice blue eyes never wavered from the screen and Pharah found herself beginning to stare. Mentally admonishing herself, Pharah stood up.

"Well then I will leave you in peace. Goodnight Hellhound."

Hellhound nodded as he stared at the screen as Pharah began to walk out.

"Goodnight agent Pharah, feel free to stop by if you have trouble sleeping again."

Pharah froze in shock and turned her head to look at Hellhound. He was intently staring at the screen, obviously not thinking twice about his comment. Deciding not to respond, Pharah quickly walked back to her room. Laying down on her bed, Pharah groaned softly.

"Why did he say that? We are simply having meaningless conversation."

Sighing, Pharah closed her eyes and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She quickly fell asleep, the troubling dreams replaced by a comfortable silence.

The next morning, Pharah was eating breakfast in the dining hall with Mercy discussing various inane topics.

"So you joined a private company as a….security guard?"

Pharah sighed and looked over at Mercy who was poking at her bowl of fruit with a fork.

"I was not a...security guard. I was part of a special task force assigned to protect a top secret facility from possible terror attacks."

Mercy giggled and waved her hand at Pharah apologetically.

"I am sorry Fareeha, you know me and how informed I am on anything besides my work. Do you miss being in the military? I have met people who miss the lifestyle and those who are glad it is over. Which camp do you fall into?"

Pharah took a sip of her coffee as she pondered her friend's question.

"Honestly? I miss it a little. When I was an officer I knew that my orders would be followed. I now appreciate that in the military my comrades were well trained and disciplined. No offense to you or any other Overwatch member...but sometimes it feels a little….unprofessional...when on a mission."

Mercy nodded along as she ate a slice of kiwi. Swallowing the fruit and renewing her search for a prime piece to eat, Mercy sighed softly.

"I know what you mean. Back when Overwatch was at its best, there was a chain of command and defined skill requirements. Now it almost feels like a gang of vigilantes. Well….more similar to old world vigilantes. Not the type the media has branded us as."

The two resumed eating their food in comfortable silence as more people walked into the dining hall. Occasionally waving to the two or calling out a greeting. As Pharah was taking another drink of her coffee, she noticed Hellhound walk in. Looking around at the other groups, it was evident that most of them were ignoring or pretending to not notice the former Talon agent. Hellhound either did not care or was oblivious to the treatment, as he picked up a tray of food and sat by himself.

Mercy followed Pharah's gaze and watched Hellhound take a seat and begin eating.

"I feel a little bad for that man. It's not his fault that he was brainwashed into being a Talon puppet. But….knowing the things he did and such...it will take time for everyone to fully trust him."

Pharah nodded and turned back to Mercy.

"Are you going to be busy today Angela? Maybe we could do something together?"

Mercy nodded and put down her fork. She looked up at Pharah with an apologetic smile.

"I am sorry Fareeha, but I have to go over everyone's medical files in preparation for the weekly check ups."

Pharah waved her hand dismissively and smiled.

"That is fine Angela, I guess I will go train or something. Would you have time to eat dinner together?"

Mercy smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! Say around seven?"

Pharah smiled and nodded as she stood up and picked up her tray and coffee cup.

"I will see you then, take care."

Putting away her now empty tray and cup, Pharah went back to her room and changed into some workout clothes. Now in the proper clothing, Pharah walked over to the gym. The room was about the same size as the lounge but filled with exercise equipment instead of recreational furniture and games. Reinhardt stood in one corner lifting massive weights as he listened to some kind of german folk music. Noticing Pharah walk in, Reinhardt gave her a big smile.

"Hello Fareeha! Come to exercise I see!"

Giving a little wave, Pharah looked around at the various equipment.

"Yes, I have not exercised since I arrived here and I need to stay in shape."

Reinhardt nodded appreciatively as he continued to lift weights.

"I agree very much! Many of today's youth do not know the value of proper exercise! Good for you!"

Giving a final nod to the younger woman, Reinhardt went back to humming along with his music.

Deciding on using the rowing machine, Pharah set the resistance and began working out. An hour went by as Pharah worked out on various exercise equipment while Reinhardt lifted weights of different sizes. Then Hellhound walked in. Reinhardt noticed the man's entrance and gave him a respectful nod.

"Hello Hellhound, do you need something?"

Pharah was engrossed in doing push-ups but when Reinhardt greeted Hellhound she nearly lost balance in surprise. Recovering quickly, she glanced up at Hellhound while continuing her exercise.

Hellhound shook his head as he looked around the gym.

"I have come here to train, if you would prefer I leave I will comply."

Reinhardt shrugged dismissively as he set down his weights.

"Not at all, feel free to do as you want."

Wiping off the sweat from his brow with a small towel, Reinhardt lumbered toward the exit.

"Farewell Fareeha, have a nice day."

Pharah sat down and waved goodbye to her friend as he left, leaving her alone with Hellhound.

Pharah went over to a nearby water cooler and got a cup of water as she watched Hellhound from the corner of her eye. The silent man had walked over to a punching bag and was preparing himself by doing some stretches. Curious as to how he trained, Pharah went over to a leg lift machine that let her watch Hellhound as she exercised.

Finished with his stretches, Hellhound began his workout. The punching bag swung back slightly as it was struck by a series of powerful blows. As Pharah watched the newest Overwatch member, she noticed how his punching style was similar to the one she was taught in her military training.

After watching Hellhound train for several minutes, Pharah stopped her workout and called out to him.

"Would you like to spar?"

Pharah then realized what she had just instinctively said as Hellhound stopped and looked over at her. In her mind, Pharah's thoughts were racing as she questioned herself.

" _Why did you say that?! You were not satisfied spying on him?! What is wrong with you?!"_

There were a few moments of silence as Hellhound stared at Pharah, but they were suddenly broken as he replied to her question.

"Yes, I would like to spar. It will give me insight as to how to work better with this new team."

His reply silenced Pharah's thoughts and she simply stared at him in disbelief, fully expecting him to refuse her request. Realizing she was staring, Pharah quickly stood up and nodded curtly.

"Very well then, over here."

She gestured to a small area with padded sparring mats as she searched for the right equipment.

Finding the locker with sparring gear, Pharah retrieved two pairs of sparring gloves and two padded sparring headgear. Returning to the sparring area, she handed Hellhound his set then put hers on. Once they were both ready, she laid out some rules.

"Alright, I assume you have had hand to hand combat training so I will lay some ground rules. No strikes to genitals, no eye gouging or biting, submission holds are allowed but if either of us tap out the holder must release immediately. Understood?"

Hellhound nodded and assumed a fighting stance.

"Since this is training I hope I will not get in trouble if you are injured."

Pharah gave him a confident smirk and assumed her own fighting stance.

"I think you should be more worried about yourself getting hurt."

The two began circling each other, waiting for the opening attack. Pharah examined Hellhound carefully trying to determine his fighting style.

" _He favors his left leg and keeps his hands in a close guard. Since he has more mass and size he will probably try to lure me in so he can put me into a hold. But I have reach and speed on my side."_

Pharah suddenly lunged forward giving a two quick jabs to Hellhound's face with her left arm to test his reaction. Hellhound simply closed his arms over his face and blocked the jabs, using his arms to take the blows. He then rushed forward, causing Pharah to jump back as she anticipated the charge. But Hellhound suddenly stopped and resumed his defensive stance and went back to waiting.

" _That's weird, I assumed from Talon's methods he would be trained to end a fight quickly…"_

Pharah ended her musings and once again closed in, this time bringing her right leg up to kick Hellhound's leg. When Hellhound lowered his hands to block the kick, Pharah suddenly rushed in and grabbed his arm. The unexpected feint caught Hellhound by surprise and Pharah flipped him over her back in a judo throw. Landing hard on the mats, Hellhound jumped back up and resumed his fighting stance.

"That was unexpected, does the egyptian military teach judo techniques?"

Pharah grinned confidently as she circled her target.

"No, I learned it on my own."

Hellhound was silent for a moment as he digested the information then nodded.

"Interesting."

He suddenly lunged forward and delivered three powerful blows at Pharah's torso. The punches were somewhat blocked by Pharah's quick reaction, but the attack did knock the lighter woman back a bit.

" _Oof, that hurt a little. It's almost like he is using standard boxing techniques instead of military ones."_

Frowning, Pharah squinted at Hellhound.

"Why are you fighting like this? Its like you are treating this like a sport not a real fight."

Hellhound paused and straightened up.

"But I am. This is how you wanted to train is it not?"

Pharah stopped in surprise, then her face twisted in anger. Lunging forward with a roar, she kicked out the unprepared Hellhound's left leg, causing him to fall to one knee. She then followed up with a powerful strike to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. Standing over him, Pharah yelled down at the man.

"What the hell! You think I train for sport?! I take this seriously! If you think I train for fun I will beat it into you how serious I am!"

In her rage, Pharah rained blows down on Hellhound. But he simply curled up and took the punishment silently, causing Pharah to stop.

"What is wrong with you?! Fight me seriously!"

Hellhound slowly wobbled to his feet and rubbed his bruised sides.

"Is that an order?"

Pharah glared at him and growled.

"Yes it-"

She was cut off as Hellhound dashed forward and sucker punched her in the solar plexus. Pharah's breath was expelled with a violent cough as she desperately tried to back up and regain her footing. But Hellhound continued his attack, following up with a kick to her knee, causing Pharah to cry out in pain as her leg buckled and she fell to the floor. Wheezing in pain, Pharah tried to stand back up but was roughly pulled up as Hellhound's arm closed around her neck. Gasping for air, Pharah struggled to break the iron grip around her neck.

Suddenly a shot rang out and a bullet grazed Hellhound's cheek, causing him to instantly release Pharah. Falling to her knees, Pharah looked up just in time to see Mcree tackle Hellhound to the ground and press his revolver to Hellhound's head.

"I don't know what is goin on here but it seems I need to put you down boy. Shame the mats are gonna get all dirty."

"WAIT!"

Pharah cried out desperately, causing Mcree to pause as Winston and Reinhardt rushed into the gym.

"I heard a gunshot! What happened?!"

Winston shouted as Reinhardt hefted his hammer, but the large german was only clad in a pair of too small shorts and a tank top.

Mcree continued to press his revolver to Hellhound's temple as he looked over at Pharah.

"I dunno boss, I was walkin by when I see hound boy here choking the life outta Fareeha. Figured he had gone off the reservation and I fired off a round to make him let her go. I didn't wanna accidentally hit Fareeha so I just grazed him then tackled him. Was about to put a bullet in his skull when Fareeha here said wait. Then you guys came in."

Winston bristled in rage as Mcree explained his actions and stomped towards Hellhound.

"Is this true Pharah?!"

Sitting down and catching her breath, Pharah rubbed her bruised neck.

"Sort of...I think...I asked Hellhound to spar with me. I thought he was not taking it seriously and got angry, I told him to fight me seriously then...well then this happened."

Sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Winston turned to Hellhound.

"Is this true?"

Laying unmoving under Mcree as the revolver was still aimed at him, Hellhound nodded.

"Affirmative, based on the ground rules established by agent Pharah I altered my fighting style. When she told me to fight seriously I asked if it was a direct order. She confirmed that it was so I fought her like I would in a real combat situation."

The group was silent for a moment as Reinhardt leaned his hammer against the wall and knelt down next to Pharah.

"While I do not like the sight of little Fareeha getting hurt. She did order him to fight seriously."

Patting Pharah on the head, Reinhardt smiled at her like a grandfather gently reprimanding a child.

"You should have remembered that Mr. Hound here is from Talon. His training is much different from yours. You were taught to stop when your opponent gave up, he was taught to kill."

Pharah glared at the massive german when he called her little, but sighed and stared at the floor when he began lecturing her.

Satisfied that Hellhound was not going to attack anyone, Mcree got off of Hellhound and stood up, holstering his revolver with a flourish.

"Still, Hound should have known the difference between training and fighting for real."

Slowly sitting up, Hellhound nodded in agreement.

"I agree, Talon's training is much more….realistic than standard training. It was not uncommon for us to get severely injured during practice. I forgot I am no longer in Talon. If need be I will willingly undergo any punishment you deem necessary."

Everyone was silent for a bit as the sobering thought of hellish Talon training went through their minds. Winston broke the silence and coughed awkwardly.

"Umm...that will not be necessary Hellhound. As long as you are cognizant of your mistake and do not repeat it I think punishment is not necessary."

Hellhound stood up and nodded thankfully.

"Thank you sir, I will stay in my quarters for the rest of the day to reflect on my actions and take steps to prevent future incidents."

Before anyone could stop him, Hellhound disappeared into the hallway. Stroking his beard as he watched Hellhound leave Mcree shook his head sadly.

"Man that guy is fucked up two ways to sunday that's fer sure. Gonna take a lotta work to get the Talon stuff outta his head."

Winston nodded as he began to leave.

"I agree, Pharah please go see Angela to get checked over. We need you in good shape."

Following Winston out of the gym, Mcree tipped his hat to Pharah then ambled away. Leaving Pharah alone with Reinhardt. Helping the bruised egyptian to her feet, Reinhardt gently patted her shoulder.

"It was not your fault Fareeha, a simple misunderstanding. But remember that words said in the heat of anger can sometimes have consequences my Mausebär."

Looking up at the smiling man, Pharah gave him a small smile.

"Thank you Reinhardt, I will try to remember that. I should remember you are not just a muscular عجوز"

Reinhardt let out a loud guffaw as Pharah responded with a retort of her own language. Ruffling Pharah's dark hair, Reinhardt lumbered out of the gym, only to return a few moments later to grab his hammer as he had left it leaning against the wall.

Once she was sure she was alone, Pharah let out a long sigh and walked over to a large wall mirror. Examining the darkening bruise on her neck, Pharah found herself thinking of ways to apologize to Hellhound. Realizing what she was thinking, Pharah quickly dismissed the thoughts from her head.

 _It's not my fault he attacked me...I think...I should go see Angela."_

Smoothing out her ruffled hair, Pharah put away the sparring gear then walked off to Mercy's lab.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello all! Another chapter for you lovely folks. In my opinion this chapter is a little lacking but that may just be the sleep deprivation talking (I stayed up till 6am hammering this out). Hopefully I can have the next chapter up soon. As always leave a comment or review! Thanks!

* * *

After getting fussed over by Mercy in her clinic, Pharah spent the rest of the day in her room reading. Eventually the time to meet Mercy for dinner arrived and Pharah put a bookmark in her novel and changed into some jeans and a standard Overwatch issue shirt. Exiting her room, Pharah walked down the hallway and made her way to the cafeteria. Arriving early, Pharah decided to get her dinner and find a table for her friend. Looking at the dinner display and seeing steak as the main meal, Pharah realized that eating steak with a bruised throat would most likely be unpleasant. Deciding to grab a fruit protein shake from the communal refrigerator, Pharah found a small table for herself and Mercy.

After Mercy showed up and grabbed her dinner, the two made small-talk as they ate. Whenever someone entered the cafeteria, Pharah would instinctively glance over. After repeating this several times, Pharah realized what she was doing and admonished herself.

" _Stop it! You should not care if he eats or not. Focus on talking with the person in front of you."_

Refocusing her attention on Mercy who was unaware of Pharah's actions, Pharah stared intently at Mercy as she talked. After some time the two friends finished their meals and bid each other goodnight. Mercy returning to her lab while Pharah returned to her room. Approaching the intersection between the men's corridor and the women's corridor, Pharah paused.

" _Is he still in his room?"_

Pharah was about to start walking towards Hellhound's room when Roadhog's door opened. Quickly doing an about face, Pharah swiftly walked to her room. Opening her door, she turned her head to see Roadhog standing in the intersection and staring at her. The two stared at each other in silence for several moments, the only noise being the hum of the air conditioning. Breaking eye contact, Roadhog let out a snort before lumbering away, leaving a confused Pharah to enter her room.

Changing into a tank top and panties, Pharah turned off her lights and climbed into bed.

The sound of gunfire echoed around her as Pharah crouched behind a broken concrete wall. In front of her a young soldier lay on the ground in a pool of spreading blood. Pressing her hands down on the makeshift bandage covering the gunshot wound in the boy's torso, Pharah watched as her subordinate desperately tried to whisper to her, only to let out a soft gurgle and go limp. Pulling her hands away from the now lifeless soldier, Pharah picked up her rifle and murmured a short prayer for the boy. Gripping her weapon tightly, Pharah rose from her crouch and began firing over the wall.

Waking up with a gasp, Pharah sat up in her bed and looked around with wild eyes. Realizing it was just a dream, she stood up and stumbled to her small bathroom. Wiping the sweat from her neck and arms with a towel, Pharah splashed cold water onto her face and took several deep breaths.

" _A flashback...I thought they had stopped years ago. Why return now?"_

Stumbling around her dark room, Pharah pulled on some sweatpants and left her room. Padding through the dimmed hallways on bare feet, Pharah eventually reached the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The white lights inside the refrigerator were blindingly bright in the darkened kitchen, causing Pharah to squint as she rummaged through the various items. Grabbing a vanilla pudding cup and closing the door, Pharah almost sighed in relief as the bright refrigerator lights were cut off. Quickly devouring the pudding, Pharah began her trek back to her room.

Approaching the lounge room, Pharah looked inside expectantly.

The dark and silent lounge seemed almost oppressive as Pharah dazedly wondered what she was looking for. In a moment of clarity, she rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

" _You fool, why would he be here? And why were you expecting him to be here?"_

She pondered her question as she stared into the darkness, before the answer hit her like a splash of ice water.

" _You wanted to talk?! He almost killed you! Get a hold of yourself!"_

Stumbling back to her room, Pharah felt a variety of emotions running through her. Anger, frustration, confusion, and a feeling she could not place. Climbing back into her bed, the realization floated through her mind as she fell back asleep.

" _I feel lonely…"_

The next morning Pharah sat at her usual table in the cafeteria nursing a cup of coffee, an untouched cinnamon muffin sitting in front of her. The memories of the previous night were an indistinct haze, as she had not slept well. Pharah knew she had realized something important, but could not remember it through the cloud of fatigue. Pharah was roused from her thoughts as Mercy set down her tray and sat across from her.

"Are you alright Fareeha? You look like you have not slept at all."

Mercy examined the bags under Pharah's eyes as she peeled a banana. Suppressing a yawn, Pharah forced a small smile and shrugged.

"I admit I did not have the best sleep last night. But it is not something to worry about, just could not get comfortable."

Frowning and clearly not buying the excuse, Mercy sighed as she reached out and held Pharah's hand.

"I will not pry...But if you are having trouble sleeping I could prescribe a small sleeping aid."

Noticing the concern in her friend's eyes, Pharah gently squeezed Mercy's hand reassuringly.

"I am fine Angela, do not worry. I also dislike relying on medication for simple things. It is too easy to become dependent on them."

Holding Pharah's gaze with her own, Mercy stared at Pharah wordlessly before letting go of her hand. Taking a small bite of the banana, Mercy tapped her finger on the table rhythmically. After taking a sip of orange juice from a cup on her tray, Mercy spoke up again.

"If you say so...but if it continues I implore you to let me know. I care about you not only as a doctor but as a friend."

Giving Mercy a genuine smile, Pharah nodded and took a sip of coffee.

"Thank you Angela, I am lucky to have a friend as caring as you."

Letting out a light laugh, Mercy nodded in thanks.

"And I am lucky to have a friend as devoted as you are. Now eat that muffin and grab a piece of fruit as well. Doctor's orders."

Letting out a chuckle of her own, Pharah gave Mercy a small mock salute.

"Yes ma'am."

A few days passed and everything seemed to return to normal. At first, those who heard of the sparring incident quickly comforted Pharah and condemned the actions of Hellhound. The only outliers were DVa, Junkrat, and Roadhog. The australian duo simply made no comment on the event and ignored the gossiping. DVa was the only one defending Hellhound, but only in offhanded remarks and small comments. Of course when Hellhound was around most of the Overwatch members gave him the cold shoulder. If this bothered him in any way it did not show, or Hellhound simply did not notice. Eventually the atmosphere returned to normal but the Overwatch members were certainly more wary of their newest addition.

One day as Pharah was discussing armor modifications with Torbjorn in the workshop, an announcement by Athena was broadcasted to everyone in the base.

"Attention all Overwatch agents, report to the briefing room in ten minutes."

Quickly finishing their discussion, Pharah and Torbjorn quickly walked to the briefing room. Pharah took a seat closer to the front as everyone else trickled in. Eventually everyone was seated or standing, most noticeably Hellhound stood in a far corner all alone.

Winston stood behind a podium and cleared his throat.

"Alright everyone these are the mission details. So pay attention."

A holographic display appeared in front of Winston as the large primate began reading his notes.

"The mission today will be in Dorado Mexico. The local gang known as Los Muertos has grown considerably since the Petras act and they have become increasingly dangerous. At first they were only doing simple robberies and small time drug dealing. But now they have expanded into arms dealing, weapon smuggling, and drug manufacturing. Our target is one of their supply hubs."

An image of a large warehouse from a satellite image was displayed as several smaller images scrolled underneath it.

"This warehouse is located in an old industrial district. Officially the entire areas is labelled as being reconstructed, but we know the Los Muertos have bribed several city officials to label it as such to prevent any unwanted civilian attention. From the satellite images we have along with collected reports from various sources, Athena has confirmed that this warehouse contains both illegal weapon shipments and a large drug lab."

A large map of the area expanded on the screen and several glowing lines and icons were overlaid on top of it.

"This mission will require precision, not brute force. The goal is to neutralize the drug lab and render as many weapons as we can useless. There will be two teams. The infiltration team who will perform the sabotage and the decoy team who will distract the guards. Mcree, Mercy, Tracer, and Zarya will be make up the infiltration team. Pharah and Hellhound will be the decoy team."

There was a chorus of murmurs when it was revealed that Hellhound would be paired with Pharah.

"I feel I can speak for most of us here when I say that sending Pharah out on a mission alone with Hellhound after the sparring incident is worrisome."

Symmetra's crisp voice silenced the murmurs as she gestured to Hellhound. Listening to Symmetra's comment, Pharah bristled and turned to stare challengingly at Symmetra.

"I am not some helpless girl. Do I need to show you my combat record to get your permission to go? There is a difference between sparring and fighting with live weapons."

Winston rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation as Symmetra arched an eyebrow in surprise.

"I was not questioning your fighting ability. I am simply stating tha-"

"Enough!"

Winston's loud voice immediately silenced the entire room as he composed himself.

"I expect a degree of professionalism here during briefings. While I appreciate your concern agent Symmetra, the decision has been made. Hellhound is fitted with a collar that can electrically incapacitate him if needed. Now if there are no more needless comments…"

Winston paused and waited for someone to speak. Only to be met by silence and averted eyes.

"Good, all agents assigned to the mission go prep yourselves and your gear. The dropship leaves in two hours, dismissed."

Everyone left the room save for Hellhound, Winston, and Pharah. As she was leaving, Pharah overheard Winston call over Hellhound. Winston began speaking with Hellhound softly but paused when he noticed Pharah lingering in the doorway. Realizing Winston was waiting for her to leave, Pharah exited the room and proceeded to the armory.

Preparing her armor and weapon was almost second nature to the seasoned egyptian soldier. Eventually the time for departure arrived and the now armed and armored Pharah entered the hangar.

Zarya, Mcree, Tracer, and Mercy were already waiting near the idling dropship and they all greeted Pharah warmly. An awkward silence fell over the group as they waited for the final member of the team and they all distracted themselves by re-checking their gear.

The sound of precise and measured steps heralded Hellhound's arrival. Turning to look at Hellhound, the group watched as he approached in his sinister armor and carrying his weapon. Torbjorn walked beside Hellhound, obviously keeping watch over the former Talon agent. Stopping in front of Pharah, Hellhound straightened into a ramrod posture and crisply saluted Pharah.

"Agent Hellhound reporting for duty ma'am".

Before she could stop herself, Pharah reflexively saluted back. Noticing the odd looks of her comrades, Pharah mentally cursed her ingrained military habits and cleared her throat.

"Umm, at ease Hellhound."

Falling into a parade rest stance with his weapon cradled in his arms, Hellhound stood silently staring straight ahead. Everyone stared in confusion at the silent and unmoving soldier, after a few moments Pharah realized Hellhound was waiting for his next order.

"Um, Hellhound take a seat in the dropship and prepare for departure."

Swiftly saluting again, Hellhound nodded to Pharah.

"Roger."

Stopping herself from saluting back, Pharah watched as Hellhound marched into the open bay of the dropship and took a seat.

"derr`mo...is like soldier back home. No question of authority. Follows orders to letter. I will admit he is very disciplined."

Zarya talked in a mixture of surprise and respect as she hefted her large weapon and stomped aboard the dropship.

"Well um...I guess we better get goin huh? I'll hop in the cockpit. Gimme a shout when you lot are ready."

Tracer zipped into the cockpit of the dropship and began her pre-flight checks as the last three team members boarded and took their seats.

The trip to Dorado was travelled in mostly silence. There was some small talk between Zarya, Mcree, and Mercy. But it would always peter off into silence as they all awkwardly glanced at the silent and stone still Hellhound. The only evidence of him being alive was the faint distorted breathing that emanated from his helmet.

Arriving at Dorado around 11pm local time, Tracer guided the dropship between a pair of abandoned factory buildings and gently landed.

"Alright luvs this is our stop!"

Opening the dropship bay door, Tracer shut down the craft's engines and zipped out into the cool night air. Everyone followed suit and soon the group gathered around Mcree who held out a laminated map.

"Alright yall, lets go over the plan one last time. Infil team will follow this route here to the west and post up right next to the warehouse in this here garage."

The cowboy traced the route on the map with his finger so everyone could see and ended by tapping the spot where the garage was located.

"Decoy team takes this route to the east, yall set up in this scrapyard and when you're ready to start the fireworks you let us know."

Pointing out the route and scrapyard to Hellhound and Pharah, Mcree let everyone examine the map one last time before rolling it up and stowing it in a pouch under his poncho.

"Once the diversion starts, us four will sneak in the back while all the gangbangers go out the front...hopefully. Time limit for us once we get inside is ten minutes. Reinforcements will take an estimated 12-15 minutes to get here according to Athena. So that gives us a short window to bug out and get the hell out of dodge. Everyone ready?"

The assembled group nodded in unison as Mcree grinned and twirled his revolver.

"Alrighty then, lets get this show on the road. Good luck you two."

Tipping his hat to Pharah and Hellhound, Mcree led the rest of the group off to their destination. Soon they disappeared behind a building, leaving Pharah alone with Hellhound. Turning to face her new comrade, Pharah began to fall back into her commanding officer persona.

"Rules of engagement are as follows, you will not fire until given the order to do so. Under no circumstances are civilians to be harmed. Do not go off on your own unless I give you permission, I do not want you playing hero. Understood?"

Hellhound nodded and readied his weapon.

"Affirmative, I'm not a hero anyways."

The statement caught Pharah off guard, causing her to lose focus for a moment as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. Mentally slapping herself, Pharah loaded her rocket launcher and donned her helmet.

"Alright let's move out."

The trip to the scrapyard only took a few minutes of sneaking through alleys and gutted buildings and soon the two were standing beside the heaps of metal and abandoned vehicles.

Examining her surroundings, Pharah began outlining her plan to Hellhound as she pointed out various ideas.

"The enemy will most likely come through that gate there. The open area between the gate and the scrap piles will be our initial killzone. There is minimal cover for them to use and if we can hold them there I expect for us to inflict heavy casualties. If they manage to push us back we fall back to that large crane tower. We can use the narrow paths between the piles to force the enemy into chokepoints where we can maximize our damage."

Turning around, Pharah pointed at the entrance to the scrapyard that was only blocked by a flimsy rolling gate.

"Our primary concern is being flanked by any reinforcements. If the enemy has any sort of armored transport or mounted weapons we will be caught between them and the warehouse guards. The primary exfiltration route will be that fence to the west. I can easily fly over and I assume you can melt it right?"

Hellhound nodded once.

"Affirmative."

Returning to examining her surroundings, Pharah pointed at a large decrepit tanker truck.

"If the primary exfil is not viable the truck will be our backup. You can easily crawl under the tank but after that is a double layer fence, so we only use it as our last resort understood?"

Hellhound took a few moments to memorize the directions then nodded again.

"Affirmative, ready to begin the operation on your signal."

Pharah nodded back and keyed her comlink to Mcree.

"Decoy team is ready."

There was a short pause then Mcree's signature drawl replied.

"Infil team is rarin to go. Ready to move on your signal darlin."

Rolling her eyes, Pharah spotted a large makeshift transformer on the edge of the scrapyard.

"Roger, beginning diversion."

Looking back at Hellhound. Pharah watched as the core of his rifle charged up. Taking cover behind a gutted truck, Hellhound trained his rifle on the gate facing the warehouse and gave Pharah a thumbs-up.

Activating her visor hud display, Pharah watched as numbers and targeting displays popped up before a large green checkmark blinked in the corner of her vision.

Gripping her launcher tightly, Pharah rocketed into the sky and went into a hover high above the ground. Aiming at the transformer, Pharah fired a single rocket into the power box. The small explosion set off a chain reaction of bright electrical explosions before the transformer violently exploded into arcs of light. Several lights on the warehouse immediately shut off as shouts of alarm could be heard faintly in the distance.

Gliding back to the ground, Pharah took cover behind a stack of steel beams and radioed Mcree.

"Diversion has begun. Initiate infiltration. Good luck."


	8. Chapter 8

Hello all! The first battle chapter is here! Not much else to say. I think I did alright with the action part. Also the gore and such is what I would imagine a more realistic version would be. Because in real life getting hit by one of Pharah's rockets would be more than likely very deadly. Any suggestions, comments, or reviews are appreciated!

Edit: fixed grammar errors and sentence structure

* * *

The first criminal sent to investigate slowly poked his head around the corner of the gate to the scrapyard. Pharah could barely hear whispered voices and a man was pushed out into the open. Brandishing a pistol, the man slowly walked into the scrapyard. After walking forward a few feet, the man turned around and softly called out to his companions. Three more men walked through the gate, nervously pointing their weapons in various directions.

Of the four men, three were armed with small pistols while the fourth held a sawed-off shotgun. Hidden behind the steel beams, Pharah watched through a gap as the four men slowly got closer. Glancing over at Hellhound, she saw how he was smoothly tracking the targets. Returning her gaze to the armed men, Pharah gripped her launcher as they passed into the middle of the open area.

Rocketing into the sky, the men shouted in alarm and began to bring their weapons to bear on the flying warrior. But Pharah had already launched a rocket and before her enemies could fire the rocket exploded at their feet, killing two instantly and wounding a third. The unscathed enemy cursed loudly in spanish at Pharah and was about to pull the trigger on his pistol when two thermal bolts sliced through his neck. Landing lightly on the ground, Pharah nodded her thanks to Hellhound as she finished off the wounded man with a concussive blast.

"They were just scouts, prepare for better armed enemies. You are free to fire at will."

Hellhound nodded as the sounds of angry shouts drew nearer.

"Understood."

As Pharah had predicted, the next group of enemies were all armed with assault rifles and began firing wildly as soon as they entered the scrapyard.

Taking flight once more, Pharah unleashed several more rockets as Hellhound opened fire. So far Pharah's strategy was working. Their enemies were split between trying to shoot the evasive rocket launching woman and firing at the methodical soldier behind cover. Body parts were sheared off from explosions and thermal bolts left burning holes in their wake.

"Keep up the pressure! Hold your position as long as possible!"

Firing off a few more rockets at a fresh batch of gun toting enemies, Pharah evaded a burst of gunfire and landed behind cover near Hellhound. Quickly reloading her launcher, Pharah watched as Hellhound cut down three men with deadly precision.

"They are getting more organized, I suggest falling back soon."

Hellhound's distorted voice sounded through her earpiece as Pharah watched several men carrying makeshift metal shields slowly advance.

"Agreed, I will fall back to the crane and cover your retreat."

The hail of gunfire was steadily increasing in volume as more enemies arrived. Sending a concussive blast at the enemies to disorient them, Pharah launched herself skyward and landed on top of the abandoned crane. Taking cover behind the control cab. Pharah began raining death down on the gang members as Hellhound dashed to a safer distance.

Gaining confidence, the violent attackers eagerly pushed forward to chase after their prey. But as the gang members entered the area filled with scrap piles, they began to realize their mistake.

The first victims were two men rushing headlong through the tight paths. Suddenly Hellhound emerged from hiding and engulfed the two in a gout of flame from his rifle. Three more enemies rounded a corner just in time to see their two comrades screaming in pain as they burned alive. Shouting in fear, the small group tried to back up only to be decimated by several of Pharah's rockets.

The deadly game of hide-and-seek continued, Hellhound taking advantage of the many corners and obstructions to whittle down the reinforcements as Pharah rained fire from up high.

Pharah was about to launch another volley when the sound of loud engines drew closer. She turned around just in time to see three trucks covered in makeshift armor smash through the gate. To make matters worse, one was equipped with a mounted heavy machine gun that immediately began punching holes through Pharah's cover.

"Taking heavy fire! Two trucks and a technical! I need covering fire!"

Pharah jumped off the crane just in time as the last of her cover was blown away. Flaring her jets just before landing, Pharah grunted as a bullet slammed into her shoulder. The impact knocked her off balance and she landed with a thud on her side. Luckily her armor had stopped the bullet.

Looking up, time seemed to slow down as Pharah watched a gangster round a corner and aim his rifle at her. In slow motion, Pharah aimed her arm to blast back her attacker but she knew it would be too late.

" _Well it was bound to happen eventually, I just wish I could have seen Angela one last time…"_

There was a whooshing sound and a wave of heat washed over Pharah as a figure stood in front of her.

Hellhound had arrived just as the rifle wielding attacker spotted the defenseless Pharah. Putting himself between Pharah and the gang member, Hellhound activated his flame shield just as the gangster fired. The burst of bullets were vaporized by the shield as Pharah watched in shock.

The attacker snarled in frustration but before he could react three thermal bolts burned through his head, leaving a steaming husk in their wake. As the lifeless body crumpled to the ground, Pharah realized Hellhound was talking to her.

"...RAH!..AGENT PHARAH ARE YOU WOUNDED?"

Snapping out of her daze, Pharah stood up shook her head.

"Negative, armor took the hit."

A hail of bullets interrupted them, making Hellhound and Pharah dive behind the large tracks of the crane.

"I have eliminated most of the infantry, but the vehicle reinforcements are a problem. We cannot exfil if they can outrun us."

Pharah nodded in agreement, glad that at least they did not have to worry about being flanked.

"Yes, destroying those vehicles is now the priority."

Peeking around their cover, Pharah analyzed their surroundings for an advantage. The sound of creaking metal caught her attention and she looked up at the partially destroyed crane.

"I have an idea, the crane arm is already weakened and your rifle should be able to melt those support struts. If we do it right I can push the arm with my concussive blast and make it fall on the technical."

Hellhound listened carefully and nodded in agreement.

"That should work, but for you to have the proper firing angle you will have to leave cover. The timing will be crucial as we are pinned down."

The sound of shouting and the steady staccato rhythm of the machine gun filled the air as bullets landed around them. Pharah took a deep breath to prepare herself and looked back to Hellhound.

"Then we need to make this count, let's go."

Nodding his affirmative, Hellhound began firing thermal bolts at the support struts above them. The metal was thick, but constant thermal bolts slowly melted the beams. The crane groaned in protest as it's large arm began to wobble unsteadily while the hail of bullets continued unabated. Finally, with a screech of tearing metal the crane arm began to fall.

Launching herself into the air, Pharah silently prayed for protection as she hovered and aimed her arm. Miraculously, no bullets hit her even as they filled the air around her. Firing her concussion blast, the blue ball of energy impacted against the falling arm, knocking it off course and directly onto the mounted machine gun.

With a thunderous crash, the mass of falling steel crushed the technical along with turning several unlucky enemies into paste.

Before the dust settled and the enemies could recover, the two Overwatch agents rushed the stunned enemies and delivered the finishing blow.

Landing on top of one of the armored trucks, Pharah blasted a helpless gangbanger at point blank range with her launcher. As her first victim exploded into a fountain of gore, Pharah jumped onto a man who screamed in fear. His scream was silenced as Pharah's armored boot broke his neck with a wet snap.

Standing up, Pharah turned to see Hellhound mopping up the last of the gang members. Several charred and smoking corpses laid on the ground as Hellhound finished off an assailant with several bolts to the chest.

There was a an angry yell and a machete wielding man emerged from behind a truck and charged Hellhound. Dodging the slashing machete, Hellhound grabbed the man's arm and threw him against the truck. Before the blade wielding maniac could recover, Hellhound slammed the open truck door on his head. There was a sickening crunch as the man's head was crushed inwards by the heavy metal door, the still twitching body fell to the ground as blood gushed from the disfigured skull.

"Area is clear ma'am, your orders?"

Walking over to Pharah, Hellhound continued to scan their surroundings for possible threats.

Taking off her helmet, Pharah wiped a large smear of blood from her visor as she caught her breath.

"Hold position Hellhound, I will get a mission status update."

Putting a finger to her ear, Pharah activated her communicator.

"Jesse this is Pharah, diversion successful. What is your sta-"

She was cut off as roar filled ears and a bright light nearly blinded her. Pharah gasped in shock as the warehouse erupted into a massive fireball, the flames and smoke reaching high into the air.

"GET DOWN!"

Pharah was knocked to the ground as Hellhound tackled her, right as a grenade landed nearby and exploded.

With her ears ringing and disoriented from the impact, Pharah groaned as she rolled onto her back. The sound of Hellhound's rifle snapped Pharah out of her daze and she immediately sat up. The feeling of an armored hand gripped her forearm as Hellhound pulled Pharah to her feet.

"Are you hurt ma'am?"

Pharah shook her head but suddenly noticed drops of blood at her feet. Looking up, Pharah worriedly pointed to Hellhound's bleeding arm. "Hellhound you are bleeding! We need to get you help!"

Hellhound shook his head and pulled out a roll of bandaging from a pocket. "Just a flesh wound. Luckily that grenade did not do much damage. You go to the warehouse, I will catch up."

Putting on her helmet, Pharah launched into the sky without another word. Her mind racing as she flew towards the burning warehouse.

" _Please be ok, please be ok…"_

Repeating these words in her head, Pharah let out a sigh of relief as she saw a small group stumbling out of the burning warehouse.

Landing nearby, Pharah rushed over to her soot covered teammates. Locking onto Mercy, Pharah pulled her into a tight hug.

"Angela! Are you alright?!"

Coughing harshly, Mercy nodded. "I am fine Fareeha, luckily we all got out."

Mercy smiled in relief as she looked around at her friends, only for her smile to be replaced by a look of terror.

"Where is Lena?!"

Mcree and Zarya looked around hurriedly as they realized they were one member short.

"She was right behind me! Fucking hell she was right behind me!"

The normally composed gunslinger was replaced by a terrified man as they all turned to look back at the blazing inferno.

"Is everyone alright?"

The silence was broken as Hellhound jogged up, the white bandage on his arm a stark contrast to his dark clothing.

"Lena is...she didn't…"

Mercy broke down into sobs as she cried into Pharah's shoulder. Zarya, Mcree, and Pharah could only stare in numb silence at the raging flames covering the warehouse.

Realizing what happened, Hellhound looked at the blaze then back at the grieving group. Walking over to Mcree, Hellhound shoved his rifle into his hands.

"Hellhound what're you…"

He was cut off as Hellhound turned around and ran headlong into the burning building and disappeared inside.

"HELLHOUND WAIT!"

Pharah cried out desperately but the only answer was the roar of the flames.

"Why did...its suicide.."

Mercy had seemingly been shocked out of crying and simply stared at the spot where Hellhound disappeared along with everyone else. Time seemed to pass agonisingly slow, each second feeling like a lifetime as the Overwatch team waited. A minute passed and everyone began to fear the worst. Mercy had started sobbing again and was supported by a silent Pharah.

Suddenly a section of wall was kicked down and Hellhound emerged from the flames carrying Tracer over his shoulder. With a cry of relief, Mercy rushed over along with everyone else to help. When they got closer, they realized that Hellhound was not wearing his helmet but that it was on Tracer's head instead.

Coughing several times, Hellhound let Zarya take Tracer off his shoulder.

"Broke her leg...was trapped…inhaled lots of smoke."

Hellhound talked between deep breaths as they rushed back to the dropship. Once inside, Mcree activated the autopilot and the dropship immediately took off. He returned to the cargo bay where Tracer was laying on the seats as Mercy tended to her.

Hellhound's helmet had been taken off Tracer and Mercy worriedly examined the unconscious woman as the glowing beam from her staff enveloped her.

"She is in bad shape, but I am keeping her stable."

Mercy looked over at the soot covered Hellhound who was sitting in the far corner.

"You saved her life Hellhound...I cannot thank you enough…"

Hellhound simply nodded.

"All members of overwatch must be protected at all costs. That was one of the orders given to me. My attire is designed to withstand high temperatures for a short time and my helmet had an advanced filtration mask. It was fortunate that I had the necessary equipment to facilitate a rescue."

Mercy smiled softly and gestured to his wounded arm.

"You are injured, do you need me to treat you?"

Hellhound shook his head and leaned back against the bulkhead.

"Negative, it is a flesh wound. Agent Tracer is the priority."

Accepting his answer, Mercy went back to watching over Tracer as Hellhound let his head droop forward and closed his eyes.

Mcree had called ahead to Winston to let him know what happened and to prepare the medical bay.

As soon as the dropship ramp touched the ground, Winston and Reinhardt arrived with a stretcher and rushed Tracer to the medical bay as Mercy followed.

Zarya and Mcree slowly disembarked from the ship, exhausted both mentally and physically. Gingerly rising from her seat, Pharah winced as the bruise on her shoulder throbbed in pain. As she was walking down the ramp, Pharah looked back and saw Hellhound still asleep in his seat.

"Hellhound we are back...Hellhound wake up…"

Sighing in annoyance, Pharah trudged back into the ship and over to the unmoving man.

"Hellhound wake up we are back at base."

Knowing from experience how a soldier can fall into a deep sleep after a battle, Pharah gently pushed Hellhound's chest.

"Come on Hellhound it's…."

Feeling something sticky on her hand, Pharah looked down. Her hand was covered in blood and time seemed to freeze as she realized what was happening.

" _No...nonononono!"_

Pharah opened up Hellhound's coat in a panicked frenzy and what she saw made her go pale in fear. The entire front of Hellhound's chest was covered in a thick coating of blood. The dark colors of his coat along with the soot and ash from the fire hid the bloody stain well, and since Hellhound's face was naturally pale, the telltale sign of pale skin from blood loss was easy to miss.

Panicking, Pharah sprinted out of the dropship.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP! HELLHOUND IS BADLY HURT!"

The few minutes passed in a blur, Pharah barely remembered Reinhardt picking up Hellhound and rushing him to the med bay. Mercy was shocked at the revelation of Hellhound's injury and quickly moved him to the surgery room.

Pharah stood behind the glass window embedded in the wall separating the surgery room from the rest of the medical bay. She barely noticed Mcree standing next to her as she watched Mercy operate on Hellhound.

"It aint your fault Fareeha."

Pharah simply stared at Hellhound in numb silence as Mcree tried to console her.

"Dont let this get to you, he hid it from all of us. We were all too distracted to notice it. Hell….I should have noticed it first…"

Pharah didn't answer, even as Mcree put an arm over her shoulder. They were interrupted as monitors began beeping loudly and several alarms started going off.

In the surgery room, Hellhound suddenly woke up. Mercy yelped and stepped back as Hellhound began screaming and thrashing around on the table. Mcree and Pharah rushed in as Mercy yelled over Hellhound's screaming.

"The drugs are not working! Hold him down! I need to sedate him!"

Mcree grabbed Hellhound's legs as Pharah pinned down his arms. Looking down, Pharah watched in horror as Hellhound struggled. His chest had been cut open and the organs in his chest cavity were plainly visible. Blood was seeping out and his heart was pulsating at a rapid pace. Pharah had seen many horrible things as a soldier, but this was one of the worst.

Mercy returned with a large syringe and jammed it into the screaming soldier's neck. Almost immediately, Hellhound went limp and Pharah nearly fell over from exhaustion. Mercy quickly restrained Hellhound and once he was secure Mcree and Pharah left.

Once out in the hallway, the two friends simply stood in stunned silence as they processed what just happened.

"Fuck...what the fuck...that was beyond messed up...never seen anything like that...I have seen people's guts ripped out, heads cut off, all kinds of shit...but that….that was beyond fucked up…"

Mcree seemed to be talking more to himself than Pharah, as she nearly nodded silently. After a few more minutes of silence, the two went their separate ways. Pharah walked through the base as if she was on auto-pilot. Dumping her armor off in the armory, Pharah barely heard Torbjorn's questions. His voice sounding like a distant buzzing in her ears.

Returning to her room, Pharah let her body go through the motions of showering and changing. Crawling into bed, Pharah closed her eyes and tried to forget what had just happened.

Pharah knelt behind the concrete wall, hands pressing down on the wounded soldier in front of her. Looking down, Pharah recoiled at what she saw before her. This time, the soldier had Hellhound's face and his chest was cut open to reveal the still living organs inside. Hyperventilating, Pharah watched as Hellhound turned his head to look at her, blood spilling from his mouth and making his words come out in a pained gurgle.

" _It's all your fault."_

Pharah bolted upright in her bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Falling to her knees, Pharah retched violently into the toilet. Vomiting half digested food and bile, Pharah ended up dry heaving for several minutes.

Crawling into the bathtub, Pharah fumbled with with the knobs until the showerhead began drenching her in ice cold water. Letting the icy chill fill her body, Pharah squeezed her eyes shut and began taking deep breaths. Minutes passed and eventually Pharah turned off the water and stumbled out of the tub. Tossing her soaked shirt and panties aside carelessly. Pharah put on new panties, sweatpants, and a long sleeved shirt.

Not wanting to experience another nightmare, Pharah shuffled out of her room and down the hall. Not caring where she went, Pharah found herself standing at the medbay door. Walking inside, she looked around the dim area. Wandering around, she eventually came upon the room with Hellhound inside.

Looking inside, Pharah felt another wave of nausea wash over her but powered through it. Inside, the unconscious Hellhound laid on a standard hospital bed. An oxygen mask was affixed to his face and several monitoring devices were attached to his body. An IV saline drip was connected to his wrist while the other wrist was handcuffed to the bed frame.

Sitting down in the only chair, Pharah listened to the steady beep of the heartbeat monitor and the whispering sounds of the oxygen machine. Looking down at her hands, for a moment Pharah saw them covered in Hellhound's blood. Biting the inside of her cheek, Pharah rubbed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, a single thought echoed in the darkness of her mind.

" _I'm sorry…"_


	9. Chapter 9

Hello all! Another chapter for you! Not much to say about this chapter, basically a taste of what may come. As always leave a review or comment! They really mean a lot to this first time writer and help me stay motivated to keep this story going.

* * *

Pharah jolted awake as someone gently shook her shoulder. Looking up she saw Mercy's worried expression.

"Fareeha, what are you doing here? It's five in the morning and you look terrible."

Pharah was a disheveled mess. She had bags under her eyes, her hair was messy, and she was slightly pale.

"I um...I woke up early to...to check on Hellhound.."

Pharah averted her eyes as she mumbled her hasty excuse, avoiding Mercy's knowing stare. After a few moments of silence, Mercy disappeared and returned quickly with a bottle of water.

"Drink, you are dehydrated."

Sighing in defeat, Pharah took the water and gulped down half of it in one long drink. Realizing how parched she was and feeling light-headed, Pharah sipped the remaining water as she stared at Hellhound's unmoving figure.

"Thank you…"

Mumbling her thanks, Pharah wearily rubbed her eyes as Mercy reached into a pocket of her lab coat and handed two small blue pills to her.

"Fareeha….please, just this once take a sleep aid. Anyone with half a brain can tell you have not slept well."

Pharah relented and took the two pills, but simply held them in her palm as she continued to watch Hellhound. Mercy sighed and gently put her hand on the exhausted egyptian's shoulder.

"Please go back to bed Fareeha. I have increased the dosage of the sedatives and I am going to be nearby all day. If anything changes I will let you know immediately."

Realizing how stubborn and irrational she was being, Pharah slowly stood up and began shuffling towards the door. Before she could leave, Pharah was suddenly stopped as Mercy pulled her into a warm hug.

"It's alright Fareeha, I am sure he does not blame you for any of this. More than likely he would probably say something along the lines of using this as an opportunity to learn...I think.."

Pharah smiled and hugged Mercy back, pulling away after a few moments.

"Thank you Angela…"

Trudging back to her room, Pharah swallowed the pills with the last bit of water in the plastic bottle. Crawling into bed, Pharah fell into a deep sleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

After a solid ten hours of sleep, Pharah awoke feeling much better. The rest of the day was uneventful save for the mission debriefing. Technically the mission had been a success as the loss of the warehouse was a heavy blow to the Los Muertos' revenue making ventures. At dinner, the main topic of conversation for everyone was Hellhound. His actions resulted in everyone's opinions of him improving, most noticeably Mercy, Mcree, Zarya, DVa, and Winston. Deciding to be safe than sorry, Pharah took another sleeping aid before going back to bed.

The next day, Pharah woke up feeling refreshed and alert. Heading to the cafeteria, she was greeted by the sight of Tracer hobbling around on crutches trying to carry a tray of food. Walking over, Pharah plucked the tray out of Tracer's hands and gave her a friendly smile.

"I see you are feeling better Tracer, how is your leg?"

Pharah followed Tracer over to a table and sat down with her as the normally cheerful pilot grumbled in frustration.

"S'alright, Angela said it was a clean break so hopefully I can be rid of this bloody cast in a few days. I tell ya being a cripple is a right pain in the arse. I have to take elevators, I can barely carry anythin, and it takes forever to get anywhere!"

Tracer griped as she peeled an orange and pulled it apart, causing Pharah to laugh softly at how the normally speedy woman was now barely able to walk. Getting a bran muffin and some yogurt, Pharah returned to the table just as Mercy sat down next to Tracer. Sitting down across from Mercy, Pharah tried to nonchalantly question her.

"So Angela...how is Hellhound? Still the same I assume?"

Pharah could almost feel Mercy's knowing look but busied herself with opening her yogurt. Unexpectedly, Tracer chimed in as well but with an obvious nervous tone.

"I um...I would like to know too Angela. I owe that bloke my life. I want to thank him in person the moment he wakes up."

Pharah paused for a brief second as she felt a strange sensation run through her. Glancing up at Tracer's nervous and slightly embarrassed face, Pharah realized she was beginning to glare.

" _What are you doing? Are you some possessive schoolgirl?!"_

Biting the inside of her cheek, Pharah went back to eating her yogurt. Meanwhile Mercy smiled and patted Tracer's hand.

"Of course Lena. If all goes well he should wake up sometime this evening. I will let you both know the second he wakes up."

The remainder of the day passed by quickly, as evening arrived Pharah found herself getting increasingly restless. To burn off her excess energy, Pharah had gone to the gym room and ran on a treadmill. She had been running at a steady pace for about twenty minutes when the voice of Athena emanated from the wall mounted speakers.

"Agent Pharah, you are receiving a message from Doctor Ziegler. She says Agent Hellhound is waking up."

Immediately jumping off the treadmill, Pharah wiped some sweat from her arms with a towel.

"Thank you Athena, tell Mercy I will be there shortly."

Quickly changing out of her workout clothes and into a pair of black sweatpants and a loose olive drab egyptian army t-shirt, Pharah quickly walked to the medical bay. Arriving at Hellhound's room, Pharah was slightly annoyed that Tracer was already there. The injured brit was leaning against a wall and attentively watching Mercy check Hellhound's vitals. Walking over and standing at the end of the hospital bed, Pharah looked to Mercy who was typing notes into a tablet.

"The sedatives should be wearing off soon. It seems one of the several...improvements...Talon made to Hellhound was to increase his resistance to sedatives and other similar drugs. So if my guess is correct he will wake up shortly."

Pharah nodded as Mercy talked, her eyes never leaving the motionless man in front of her. Several minutes passed in silence as the trio patiently waited for Hellhound to wake up. They were all startled when Hellhound coughed loudly and groaned. Suddenly his eyes shot open and darted around in a panicked frenzy as he tried to sit up. Mercy immediately rushed over and warily put her hand on Hellhound's shoulder.

"Hellhound calm down. It's alright you are back at Overwatch Gibraltar. You were badly hurt so do not strain yourself or you will only hurt more."

Hellhound's eyes locked onto Pharah's and for a moment Pharah saw the fear and pain the man was in. But as the two soldiers stared at each other, Hellhound calmed down and lay back with a pained grunt.

"Sorry...I was...nevermind…"

Mercy pushed a button on the side of the bed and the back rose up to put Hellhound in an angled position so he could see who he was talking to. Mercy then unlocked the handcuffs on Hellhound's wrist and smiled happily.

"You are a very resilient man. While I detest the procedures Talon forced you to undergo, I cannot deny their effectiveness."

Holding up her tablet, Mercy showed him several X-rays of his chest.

"You had many metal fragments in your chest cavity from what I assume was the grenade you saved Pharah from. Luckily they did not puncture your heart, but instead nicked several large veins and two arteries. Your blood clotting delay is much faster than the average person's which is the only reason you are alive. Anyone other than you would have bled out a short time after receiving your injuries. I was able to remove all of them, but all the movements you made while they were inside you caused significant internal injuries. So you will be confined to bedrest until you are healed enough, understood?"

After studying the images, Hellhound nodded.

"Understood ma'am, thank you for treating me."

Noticing Tracer leaning against the wall, Hellhound gave her a respectful nod.

"Agent Tracer, I see you are healthy and alert."

Smiling cheerfully, Tracer nodded and gave the man a little wave.

"Yup! I got me a bum leg for a bit, but considering the alternative was to burn alive I think I can manage. Actually I was meanin to ask ya...why did you risk your life to save me?"

Tracer looked at Hellhound curiously as Mercy tapped her chin and nodded as well. Clearly also curious as to what motivated Hellhound to take such a risk.

Hellhound gave Tracer a confused look, like someone would to a person who asked a question with an obvious answer.

"Because that was one of the orders given to me by Agent Winston. To protect all Overwatch agents by any means necessary. If it meant that I would die in exchange to save the life of an Overwatch agent I was willing to accept that outcome. Also from a tactical standpoint I was the best option. I am a former Talon agent so there would be no real need for retaliation. I have no family or loved ones so there is no real reason to prioritize my life over others. Also I have minimal emotional attachments to anyone here, so if I died it would not cause any significant drop in overall moral. To put it in layman's terms, I am expendable."

The three women stood in shocked silence after hearing Hellhound's reasoning. Logically it all made sense from a purely analytical standpoint. But hearing Hellhound call himself expendable and believe that statement wholeheartedly made them realize just what kind of inhumane training and conditioning he had been subjected to.

The silence was broken by loud sound of a hand slapping a face. Tracer and Pharah looked up to see Mercy standing over a confused Hellhound with pure anger etched into her face.

"DIN JÄVLA IDIOT! DON'T YOU EVER TALK LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

Mercy roared angrily at the confused Hellhound, causing him to flinch and try to back away. Even Tracer and Pharah were intimidated by the enraged doctor's outburst and were momentarily frozen in shock.

Hellhound was even more confused when Mercy suddenly embraced him in a tight hug, causing him to groan in pain.

Realizing that she was hurting him, Mercy swiftly pulled back and wiped a tear from her eye while taking several deep breaths. Having calmed down, Mercy looked down at the bewildered Hellhound with a small smile.

"I am sorry for my...outburst. I just get very passionate about caring for my patients. Hellhound….I know that none of us here in Overwatch can even imagine what you have been through while with Talon. But you have to stop thinking and acting like you are still in Talon, you are part of Overwatch now. In Overwatch we all treat each other as equals and protect each other like we would our own family. So stop treating yourself like a disposable tool. That is an order."

Hellhound mulled over what Mercy said in silence before looking back up and nodding.

"I...I will try my best ma'am."

Mercy rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance before crouching down next to Hellhound.

"Another thing, stop calling me ma'am or Agent Mercy. We are friends now, so just call me Mercy, understood?"

Hellhound took a moment to process what Mercy was saying before responding.

"Yes ma-...alright Mercy."

Smiling brightly, Mercy stood up and patted Hellhound's arm.

"Good, now you need to get some rest. So once you finish talking with these two I want you to try and sleep."

As Mercy walked out of the room, Tracer hobbled over next to Hellhound with a small box in her hands.

"I um….I wanted to say thanks. Y'know for saving my life and all that. I know you are still a little rough around the edges but I know that eventually you will be a true blue Overwatch agent. So anyways! I wanted ta give you a little somethin as a thank you gift. This is from my personal collection so the quality is very good I assure you."

Opening the lid, Tracer smiled excitedly as she showed Hellhound the contents.

"Tadahh! Authentic Earl Grey tea straight from London! A cup of this always helps me relax so I figured I would give it to you! Don't worry about payin me back or nothin, I can always get more."

Hellhound gingerly took the box and examined the tea inside. For the first time the normally stoic and cold soldier looked almost embarrassed.

"Um...thank you Agent Tracer...but how do you make tea?"

You could almost see Tracer visibly deflate as she realized her mistake.

"Oh….well um..it's not that hard. You just boil some water and then...aw man i feel like an arse.."

Hellhound saw Tracer's downcast expression and tried to salvage the situation.

"The gift is still appreciated Agent Tracer. I would be glad to learn how to prepare tea. I may be very knowledgeable about warfare and tactics but I will admit I am a bit inept when it comes to civilian life."

Perking up a bit at Hellhound's response, Tracer gave him a sheepish smile.

"Alrighty then! One day I will make you a master at making tea! Oh! Just call me Tracer from now on. We are friends yeah? No need to sound so proper all the time."

Picking up her crutches, Tracer gave Hellhound a wave and nodded to Pharah.

"Alright luvs i'll see you later! You get some rest now Hound!"

Tracer then hobbled out of the room, leaving a flustered Pharah alone with a curious Hellhound.

" _A gift?! Why did she bring a gift?! Now I look like an ass for not bringing something!"_

A strange sound filled Pharah's ears. Looking up, she realized the sound was actually Hellhound chuckling.

"I am going to be honest. Tea is a little much for me. I know how to skin animals and which plants are edible….but making tea is beyond me. Honestly I would be fine without it."

Pharah sighed mentally in relief as she listened to Hellhound confide in her. She was happy that he was not expecting a gift from her, but she still wanted to give him something. But now she knew the gift would have to be something Hellhound would know how to use or understand the meaning behind it.

Pharah almost yelped in surprise as she realized Hellhound was silently staring at her. As his ice blue eyes stared into hers, she found herself staring back. It was a strange sensation, there was no awkwardness between her and Hellhound as the silently stared at each other. Just a comfortable silence.

"You fought well. I can see why you take your training so seriously. I think we made a good team, your battlefield awareness and tactics are very good."

Pharah felt herself beginning to blush. While most people would not think much of his comment, being a soldier herself Pharah knew the feeling of respect when being complimented.

"Thank you, I think we make a good team as well. But I owe you my life, you saved me two times. If you were not there I would be dead and Tracer would be dead as well. You should follow Angela's advice. Saving someone because you were ordered to is different than saving someone because you wanted to."

Looking down, Pharah saw that one of her sneakers were untied. Bending over, she quickly tied it and straightened back up. As she began to straighten, she looked up and saw Hellhound's eyes staring at her. More specifically the opening in the top of her shirt that was hanging down and showing the tops of her breasts. Immediately, Hellhound pretended he was staring at the clock behind her.

Pharah felt herself flush and realized a warm feeling was spreading through her chest.

" _He was looking down my shirt….he was looking down my shirt! I...I should be mad...but..nobody has looked at me like that in a long time...it felt...sort of nice."_

Looking at Hellhound curiously, Pharah was shocked to see the tops of his ears turning a slight red.

" _Is he blushing?! It can't be…"_

Deciding to test his reaction, Pharah pretended to let out a long yawn and stretched her arms behind her back while tilting her head up. Of course this also pushed her breasts out making the fabric of her shirt cling to them and emphasize their shape.

Taking a peek down her nose, Pharah felt herself flush even more when she saw Hellhound glancing at her chest.

" _He really is checking me out!"_

Returning to her original stance, Pharah watched Hellhound quickly take an intense interest in the saline drip attached to his arm and stare at it. Looking at his ears again, she barely kept the smile off her face as she saw the tips become even redder.

The feeling of being desirable and knowing that Hellhound was at least interested in her body improved Pharah's mood immensely.

" _What is wrong with me?! I am like a teenager all over again! I should be keeping our relationship purely professional...but there is something about him…"_

The realization hit Pharah like a bolt of lightning. Hellhound was almost comparable to a thirteen year old in terms of dealing with being attracted to the opposite gender. For so long his entire life was focused on fighting and killing. But now the conditioning is wearing off and his repressed desires are starting to come back. He did not react when Mercy hugged him, or when Tracer was bouncing around next to him. But he was reacting to Pharah and her body and nobody else's.

Walking over to stand next to Hellhound, Pharah gave him a warm smile.

"I hope you recover swiftly, if you need anything do not hesitate to contact me."

Before she could stop herself, Pharah was throwing caution to the wind and crossing the line that would change everything.

"And just call me Pharah, we have been through enough that calling me Agent Pharah sounds ridiculous. But when it is just the two of us and nobody else is around….call me Fareeha."

The thrill of excitement ran through her veins like adrenaline as she watched Hellhound's ears become red while he tried to formulate a response. Obviously this type of conversation was uncharted territory for him as he tried to stutter out a response.

Before he could reply, Pharah walked out of the room. A small smile spreading on her face as she hummed happily while walking back to her room.


	10. Chapter 10

Hello all! Another chapter for you! Sorry for the wait things have been a little crazy. A short message at the end expanding on that if you want to read it. As always, leave a comment or review!

* * *

A week had passed since Pharah's flirtatious conversation with Hellhound. She had occasionally visited the wounded man but kept her visits brief. Each time they conversed normally but Pharah could tell that Hellhound was slightly wary about her intentions. Finally, Mercy concluded that Hellhound had healed enough to let him out of the medical bay.

"Alright Hellhound, your tissue has healed nicely so I am comfortable with letting you go back to your normal daily activities. But remember you are still recovering so no strenuous activities. You are also prohibited from participating in missions until I deem you combat ready, Understood?"

Mercy stood next to Hellhound with a tablet in hand as the muscular man put a blue t-shirt on. Turning to face the motherly doctor, Hellhound nodded in understanding.

"Affirmative, thank you for taking care of me ma'am...I mean...thank you Mercy."

Catching himself reverting to his original speaking habits, Hellhound shook Mercy's hand. Just outside the door, Pharah leaned against the wall and waited patiently. In her hands she held a thin black rectangular box that she occasionally fiddled with nervously.

As Hellhound walked out of the medical bay, Pharah cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Hello Hellhound, feeling better?"

Turning to face the egyptian woman, Hellhound cautiously answered.

"Um...yes I am. Mercy said I am healed enough to move around but not enough to participate in any missions."

Giving the man a soft smile, Pharah pushed herself off the wall and faced her comrade.

"I wanted to thank you again. For saving my life...twice in fact. I wanted to give you something to show my appreciation, I hope you like it."

She presented the thin box to Hellhound and tried to appear confident. In truth she was very nervous about how her gift would be received. She had spent the entire week mulling over various gift ideas, trying to find the perfect one.

Hellhound gently took the box and looked at Pharah.

"You did not have to do this. I only did what any other Overwatch member would do."

Pharah smiled and shook her head gently and took a step closer to Hellhound, closing the distance between them.

"I wanted to do this Hellhound….because it is you."

Hellhound's ears flushed bright red as he tried to process the meaning of Pharah's words, causing her to laugh gently and point to the box.

"Just open it, I spent a long time trying to find something you would like."

Closing his mouth, Hellhound simply nodded and opened the box. Inside was a combat knife in a sheath surrounded by foam padding. Gingerly taking out the knife, Hellhound pulled the blade out of the matte black sheath.

Holding the knife up, Hellhound noticed a single engraved decoration on the blade. A small golden eagle head was engraved into the blade just above the hilt and the arabic word "Justice" engraved in silver under it.

As Hellhound examined the blade, Pharah looked at his expression in anticipation.

"The blade itself is eight inches long and made out of carbon steel. It has a special black coating that prevents rust and chipping as well as preventing light reflections."

Hellhound balanced the blade on the tip of his finger and nodded approvingly.

"It is very well made. What is the eagle decoration?"

Pharah blushed slightly and wrung her hands together.

"Well...I received this knife as recognition for valor in combat from my commanding officer. The eagle head symbolises my dedication and airborne fighting techniques and the word under it is arabic for justice."

Hellhound looked back up at Pharah in confusion and held the knife out to her.

"I cannot accept this. It was made solely for you and to represent your accomplishments."

Pharah smiled and gently pushed the knife back to Hellhound.

"And I am now giving it to you to show how grateful I am. You saved my life twice. This has been collecting dust for years and has never been used in combat. I would be honored if you kept it and used it against those who would harm us."

Hellhound gently slid the knife back into it's sheath and placed it back in the box.

"I am...happy that you think so highly of me. I promise to never let lose it."

Now it was Pharah's turn to blush and she smiled happily.

"I think many things about you Hellhound, and respecting you is just one of the many favorable ones."

Hellhound's ears turned bright red again as he furrowed his brow trying to figure out what exactly Pharah was implying, making Pharah stifle a laugh as she watched the man in front of her.

" _I know that teasing him is a little unfair, but I just cannot get enough of his reactions."_

For Pharah, Hellhound presented a new challenge she never been able to face before. All of her previous relationships had been with men who constantly tried to impress or seduce her. Pharah's distinguished military career and martial mindset seemed to make all of her previous romantic partners feel inadequate when it came to their own accomplishments. Resulting in them often overcompensating for their supposed weakness.

Practically her entire life, Pharah was often put on the defensive in any sort of relationship, having to fend off both aggressive romantic advances and tolerate insincere individuals trying to curry favor with her.

Secretly Pharah had always wanted to be the aggressor in a relationship. Having seen many movies about women who could make even the most stoic hero fall for them with their charm and wit alone. Her personality itself was also a factor in this desire, for Pharah was a competitive individual and relished overcoming challenges of any type.

With the realization of her attraction to Hellhound combined with the man's inexperience with relationships, Pharah had finally been granted an opportunity that would fulfill her desires.

Before Pharah could speak, McCree had sidled up next to her and draped an arm over her shoulder.

"Lookin good Hound, Doc give you the whole shtick about proper diet and exercise?"

Hellhound tilted his head in confusion at McCree's question.

"She cleared me for normal activities but I am not cleared for active duty. She did not mention diet or exercise."

Annoyed that her private moment with Hellhound had been interrupted, Pharah rolled her eyes and flicked the brim of McCree's hat.

"She only says that to you because you smoke and drink almost every day and rarely train."

Taking his arm off the annoyed woman's shoulder, McCree gave Pharah a teasing wink.

"Well darlin that's cuz I am a proud American, drinking and smoking is a national pastime. As for trainin, I am still sharp as a tack and flailin around on the range just aint my style."

McCree patted Hellhound's shoulder and jerked a thumb back down the hallway.

"Cmon out to the courtyard, got a little somethin for ya."

As the gunslinger ambled away, Pharah smiled at Hellhound.

"Everyone wanted to show their appreciation so we all have been waiting for you to get out of the medical bay."

Hellhound put the combat knife back in the box and stowed it in one of his large pants pockets. Following Pharah, they emerged through a pair of double doors and into the courtyard.

The courtyard itself was not that extravagant. It was a 40 yards wide and 30 yards long, two 40 yard sides and one 30 yard side were enclosed by the buildings of the base. The open side faced out over a cliff, giving a spectacular view of the ocean below. To prevent any accidents the cliff edge had a reinforced metal balcony with a large transparent wall to prevent any accidental falls.

Most of the courtyard ground was soft green grass, save for one small area that was concrete for cooking or other activities that required a solid surface. There was also a swimming pool that allowed for both recreational activities as well as swimming laps. Finally, a large fire pit was located in the center for easy use.

Looking around, Hellhound was intrigued by the various goings on. A large barbeque had been set up and both Junkrat and Roadhog wore matching cooking aprons as Junkrat tried to teach the unamused Symmetra how to cook a steak. A wide variety of folding chairs, tables, and other pieces of furniture were spread around the firepit in a disorganized mess. Zarya and Reinhardt seemed to be engaged in a fierce arm wrestling match, both being cheered on by DVa and Mei. Tracer and Winston lounged in chairs seemingly engaged in a fierce debate over which foods tasted best with peanut butter. Near the cooking area, Torbjorn and McCree sat on a bench next to a massive cooler comparing their favorite alcoholic drinks.

Seeing Hellhound and Pharah arrive, McCree stood up and let out a shrill whistle.

"Alright yall! The guest of honor is here! Come on over so we can get this show on the road."

McCree motioned for Hellhound to stand next to him near the firepit as everyone stopped what they were doing and formed a loose circle around the firepit. Suddenly an out of breath Mercy jogged over and joined the group, still wearing a labcoat.

"Sorry! I needed to finish up my reports."

The apologetic Mercy was met with a series of teasing remarks when McCree held up his hands.

"Alright alright hush up yall, time for the main event."

Turning to Hellhound, McCree smiled cheerfully and took off his hat.

"Hellhound, I know you have had a rough time up till now. All of us are guilty of bein a little...hell we were all kinda assholes to you at one point. But you showed us that you can be trusted and counted on when things get rough. You saved not only one, but two overwatch members on the same mission, while also nearly dyin in the process. That kinda self sacrifice means a whole lot to us, I know you might be thinkin that it was expected for you to do that stuff but you would be wrong. Overwatch is not just a team, but also a family. Sure we might have our fights with each other and not always get along, but at the end of the day we stand together to do what's right. You showed that despite how we treated you, you risked your life to save your teammates. Winston you wanna take it from here?"

McCree patted Hellhound's shoulder as Winston stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"As acting commander of Overwatch, I officially recognize Hellhound's selfless acts of bravery to protect his comrades. To show our gratitude and thanks, I hereby appoint Hellhound as an official Overwatch Agent. Welcome to the team."

There was a round of cheers as Hellhound dazedly shook Winston's hand. Looking around, Hellhound found all eyes were looking at him expectantly.

Feeling a nudge on his side, Hellhound turned to see McCree chuckling softly.

"This is the part where you make a speech. Nuthin fancy or anythin."

Nodding in understanding, Hellhound scratched the scar on his face as he thought of a response.

"Um...I am honored to be inducted into this elite group. In Talon, we were told that Overwatch was an organization akin to terrorists. Using their power for their own gain. But after...leaving...I realized how Talon had deceived me. I now see that Overwatch is committed to defending those who cannot defend themselves against others who would do them harm. Whether that be common criminals or terrorist organizations like Talon. I promise to use this opportunity to atone for my past actions….thank you."

There was a round of cheers after Hellhound's speech and McCree clapped the new agent on the back.

"Nice speech hoss, now lets party!"

As the sun began to set, everyone picked their food and drinks or choice and lounged around bantering with each other.

Junkrat was sprawled out on the grass with a beer in hand next to Symmetra who sat in a folding chair sipping on a margarita. It seemed that the Australian junker was trying to flirt with normally stern woman. Surprisingly, Symmetra seemed to at least be amused by Junkrat's antics and storytelling.

Torbjorn and Mercy sat near the firepit discussing the possible uses of nanotechnology being paired with prosthetics. Occasionally there would be a moment of heated debate followed by happy laughter as the two friends toasted each other's success.

Zarya, Dva, and Mei were on the opposite side of the firepit reclining in a variety of colorful chairs. Zarya's booming voice could be clearly heard as she regaled the her two companions with stories of past battles and experiences. Mei hung onto Zarya's every word in awe as DVa devoured a large steak covered in a mess of various sauces.

McCree, Tracer and Reinhardt all sat on the grass next to each other comparing their drinks of choice. McCree advocating for the aging and burn of whiskey, Reinhardt defending the pairing of beer and warming effect of schnapps, and Tracer expounding on the fruity flavor and class of British gin. Of course all three needed to test each other's drinks and the bottles of both whiskey,schnapps, and gin were almost half empty.

Winston simply sat by himself on a large picnic blanket watching the orange sun cast rays of light on the ocean while enjoying his favorite snack of bananas dipped in peanut butter.

Hellhound stood next to the large grill experimentally cooking a small steak, intrigued by the surprisingly complex methods involved in the cooking process. Walking back from throwing her paper plate in the trash, Pharah grabbed a beer from the large cooler and sat down next to the arguing alcohol connoisseurs and listened to their debate in amusement.

Noticing their new audience, all three drunk agents greeted Pharah warmly.

"Howdy darlin! Come on over to pop a squat with us?"

Mcree tipped his hat with one hand while the other held a glass of whiskey.

"Ah my fierce little Mausebär! Joining us in celebration of our new comrade!"

Reinhardt's booming voice echoed across the courtyard as he cheerfully ruffled Pharah's hair.

"Ello luv! Fancy a drink? I can tell you right now mine is top notch stuff!"

Tracer chirped cheerily as she waved to Pharah, of course her comment about her drink of choice setting off a new round of debating.

Pharah smoothed out her hair and was about to respond when three large bottles of liquor were thrust towards her accompanied by a chorus of demands for her opinion. Holding up her hands defensively, Pharah smirked at the belligerent companions.

"I am sorry but I am fine with my beer. I think you all should just decide amongst yourselves."

Pharah's response was met with a chorus of groans and several complaints of being a spoilsport, when suddenly McCree perked up.

"Hey! I know who can judge! Hey Hound! Gitcher ass over here we need your opinion!"

Waving his hat to get Hellhound's attention, McCrees' idea was heartily approved by the other two inebriated friends while Pharah put a palm to her face. Before she could object, Hellhound was already sitting in front of them with a curious expression.

"You require my...opinion? On what? Battle tactics or fighting styles?"

McCree, Tracer and Reinhardt all chuckled as Pharah groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Nuthin of that sort luv! We need you to do a taste test! Just take a drink of our three drinks and tell us who's is better!"

Hellhound looked to Pharah in confusion as three glass cups of liquor were put in front of him. Pharah simply sighed and waved her hand dismissively, leaving Hellhound to his fate.

Looking back to the three drinks in front of him, Hellhound warily picked up the glass of whiskey and sniffed it. Wrinkling his nose at the strong smell, Hellhound looked at it in confusion.

"I think this liquid has been tampered with or poisoned. I suggest you all go to Mercy for a toxicology screening."

Even Pharah couldn't help but laugh at Hellhound's response along with everyone else. McCree shook his head and pointed to the bottle next to him.

"Naw hoss it's supposed to be like that. Here is a tip for drinking whiskey, don't drink it slowly just take a big gulp real fast like."

Regarding the cowboy with a hesitant expression, Hellhound gripped the glass of whiskey.

"If you say so."

Hellhound then took a large gulp of whiskey and immediately went into a coughing fit, causing everyone to laugh heartily.

"Ugh...this..drink supposed to taste like this? It's like I am drinking gasoline."

McCree patted Hellhound's back as he took the now empty glass from him.

"Sure is! Ya just gotta build up a tolerance, but tell me. Ya feel anythin after that drink?"

Hellhound frowned and after a moment nodded his affirmative.

"Yes...my throat burns but there is a slight...spicy taste?"

McCree nodded happily and smiled at Hellhound's assessment.

"There ya go! Whiskey is a man's drink, puts hair on yer chest. Ya gotta take the burn to get the flavor."

Next in line, Reinhardt put a small glass of schnapps in Hellhound's hand.

"Now it is my turn! Unlike the simple americans, us Germans take pride in our drinks! This is called schnapps, it is sweet but warms your belly! The best for snowy nights in a lodge with friends!"

Holding the glass up to eye level, Hellhound examined the faint rose colored liquid.

"Hopefully this is less...uncomfortable than before."

Downing the shot in one gulp, Hellhound's face twisted into a grimace making Reinhardt guffaw happily. Looking up at the massive german man, Hellhound coughed softly.

"This was...slightly better. But it was very sweet, and bitter at the same time."

Reinhardt nodded in agreement as he took a shot of schnapps himself.

"Yes it is! Schnapps taste best when paired with good beer. After the schnapps you drink the beer and the combination is exquisite!"

Tracer scooted forward and handed Hellhound a small glass of gin.

"Aww I'm sorry luv! But I swear mine is the best! Not too sweet, but not too bitter, juuust right! This is authentic London gin! One of the best in the world!"

Warily taking the drink, Hellhound sighed in resignation.

"I guess I must follow through on this...test."

Hellhound took a large gulp of the clear liquid and immediately squeezed his eyes shut and puckered his lips.

"Urgh...and all these are supposed to be good?"

Tracer giggled happily and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure is! So who's was the best?"

The three contestants leaned forward expectantly as Hellhound swayed slightly where he sat. Blinking slowly, Hellhound put a hand to his head and groaned.

"My head feellls...feeeels...fuzzy. I told you..told you it was..um...bad.."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion when Pharah suddenly realized what was going on.

"I think you made a mistake when having Hellhound be a judge. He probably has no resistance to alcohol. In other words, he is a lightweight."

Without warning, DVa suddenly popped up behind the group and smiled cheerfully.

"Hey guys! Whatcha doing? Oh..geez it totally smells like booze over here."

Waving her hand in front of her nose, DVa plopped down next to Hellhound and patted his arm.

"You ok Houndy? Are these bad drunks boring you to death?"

Not realizing that Hellhound was inebriated, DVa continued to chatter happily as Hellhound looked at her curiously. Suddenly, Hellhound put an arm over DVa's shoulder and pulled her close.

"Your so funny...lika rabbit...but a girl. Alwayss bouncin...bounce bounce bounce…"

DVa squeaked in surprise as Hellhound pulled her close, blushing bright red as she was pressed against him.

"Umumum! Hey Houndy you ok? Your bein kinda weird...but...gawd you are like a warm rock."

DVa giggled nervously as Hellhound continued to hold her and babble, making everyone but Pharah howl in laughter. Hearing the commotion, all the other party attendees wandered over to investigate. Realizing what was going on, soon everyone was sitting in front of Hellhound excitedly asking questions. DVa had been pried out from Hellhound's grasp and now the intoxicated soldier was swaying heavily as he looked around in a daze.

"Oi! Hey Hellhound! Whatcha think bout me and Roadie?"

Junkrat had pushed his way to the front and managed to hold Hellhound's attention long enough to ask a question.

Hellhound frowned as he tried to scratch his nose.

"Uuhhh...yous like...umm..like loud..but good."

Taking his reply as a positive answer, Junkrat cackled happily and gave a high five to Roadhog.

Suddenly Hellhound perked up and locked onto McCree.

"You! You sneaky...but i..urp...I know...hes angry and grr grr im Reaper raawr...but under..Rey-..oops..sshhh issa secret…"

Everyone looked at McCree in confusion as the cowboy scratched his head in bewilderment.

"Hey yall I'm as lost as you are. I think our friend here needs to get some rest before-"

He was interrupted as Hellhound loudly retched and puked, most of the vomit landing on the grass but a few chunks sticking to his shirt. There was a mix of groans and laughs as Hellhound moaned and tried crawling away before collapsing face down on the grass.

Stepping forward, Winston sighed and adjusted his glasses before turning to face the group.

"Alright everyone the show is over. In the future please restrain yourselves from intoxicating new members. Please collect all garbage and clean up, we resume normal operating schedules tomorrow.

The large ape gave a pointed stare to the three giggling drunks before turning and putting Hellhound over his shoulder. As Winston carried the blacked out Hellhound away, Pharah jogged after them and fell in step with Winston.

"I can provide assistance Winston. I am perfectly fine with cleaning up some vomit off of him. I have seen much worse before."

Arriving at Hellhound's room, Winston gently set Hellhound down and nodded to Pharah.

"Thank you Pharah, I admit I am not that experienced with personal cleaning of clothes. Goodnight."

As Winston ambled away, Pharah slung Hellhound's arm over her shoulder and dragged him into his room. Turning on the lights, Pharah dragged the limp man to the bathroom and propped him up on the cover of the toilet.

When Hellhound had latched onto DVa, Pharah barely restrained herself from yanking the korean girl away from him. She knew that Hellhound had no indecent motives, but seeing DVa being held by him and enjoying it made her extremely jealous.

Returning to the present, Pharah pulled the dirty shirt off of Hellhound and grabbed a washcloth. Wetting the washcloth in warm water, Pharah quickly cleaned off the residual bits of vomit from Hellhound's skin.

Tossing the shirt and washcloth in the laundry basket, Pharah dragged Hellhound over to his bed. Just as she was about to lift the limp body onto the bed, she found herself being roughly pushed down onto the bed. Rolling over, Pharah's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at Hellhound leaning over her.

Hellhound's hands were pressed down on the bed on either side of Pharah as he stared down at her. His eyes were half closed and unfocused, but the simple action of being pushed down onto the bed made Pharah's heart skip a beat. The two simply stared at each other in silence, Pharah afraid that any movement might break the moment. Suddenly, Hellhound leaned closer. His voice slightly husky from the liquor.

"You...you are...ssstrange..when I see you..I..I dunno...but it feelllss..um..good? Like warm...I think...I think I-"

Hellhound stopped mid sentence, collapsing next to Pharah and snoring softly.

Pharah simply laid on the bed in shock, her face flushed a bright red. Realizing she had been holding her breath the entire time, Pharah let out a long sigh and turned her head to look at the man laying next to her. The scar on his jaw was barely visible while the long vertical scar on his chest rose and fell in time with his breathing.

" _That was...unexpected. But scary and exciting at the same time. I never felt like this before with any other men. They have been rough in bed but it never felt...exciting. But this...he was so…"_

A loud snort interrupted Pharah's thoughts as Hellhound shifted in his sleep. Suddenly Hellhound's arms reached out and pulled Pharah close, pressing his bare chest against her.

Pharah nearly yelped in surprise and blushed even more as she found herself being held in Hellhound's gentle embrace. His breath brushed against her neck with every exhale and occasionally he would mutter softly in his sleep.

" _Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! What is happening!? This is too much!"_

Pharah tried to calm herself down and extricate herself from Hellhound's grasp. But every time she tried to pull away he simply pulled her back in again.

" _Shit! I can't get out! I guess...I guess I will just have to wait it out…"_

Pharah gave up and simply laid on the bed in Hellhound's embrace, letting herself relax and get comfortable. Before long, Pharah was drifting off to sleep. A happy smile on her face as she slept in Hellhound's arms.

* * *

A short message about waiting for chapters.

I thought I should let you all know about my writing process. I am not getting paid to write this, I have a job and other real life obligations just like the rest of you. If I could just sit at home and writeball day I would. As for all authors on this site, we make these stories for fun. We cannot just sit down any day and say "ok! I'm gonna write a 5000 word chapter today!" Writing takes time and effort, not everyone is able to constantly think up ideas for new chapters. I also have hobbies and stuff I like to do on my free time. It is selfish of readers to think that writers should only spend their free time writing.

Anyways, that is my attempt at an explanation. If you really want to new chapters, leave positive comments or reviews. Name calling and insults only make me feel less inclined to write.

For posting schedule, my goal is at least one chapter a month. My best would be one chapter a week.

If a month goes by and there is no update then feel free to leave messages or reviews asking for updates. Also I put any reasons for delays or whatever on my profile.

Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Hello all! I am very very sorry for the lack of updates to this story. Of course after I make this statement of an update schedule I dissappear for almost two months. I will be honest and procrastination was a major factor in the delay. I now realize that the lure of my new gaming pc was hard to ignore. But I buckled down and made this chapter longer to try and make up for the delay. I sincerely apologize and hope you all will continue reading and supporting this story. Comments and reviews are always welcome! They are a good way I stay motivated by going back and reading them.

(Since it is december would you all want a winter/christmas/holidays spinoff/side chapter?)

* * *

Pharah was awoken from her slumber by the sensation of something digging into her back. In her half asleep daze, Pharah rolled over to try and get rid of whatever was jabbing her. The normally stoic egyptian woman let out a squeak of surprise as Hellhound's sleeping face filled her view. Falling out of the bed in a panic, the previous night's memories came flooding back. Looking around, Pharah saw a small digital clock on a nearby nightstand. Looking closer she discovered it was four o'clock in the morning.

Turning back to the sleeping half naked man, Pharah realized that the pointy object was the edge of the knife box Hellhound had in his pocket. Sometime in the night, Hellhound had rolled onto his back and started snoring softly. Finding herself staring at Hellhound's chest and abs, Pharah shook herself from her daze and carefully picked up the knife box. Checking the inside of the box, Pharah was relieved that her gift was not damaged or tarnished in any way. Tiptoeing over to the nightstand, Pharah placed the gift next to the clock and padded out of the room.

Poking her head out the door, Pharah listened for any sounds of movement. Hearing nothing, Pharah stealthily closed the door behind her and crept down the hallway. Nearing the intersection of the main hallway, Pharah breathed a sigh of relief and rounded the corner only to run into Roadhog's massive belly. Nearly screaming in surprise, Pharah froze in panic as she tried to force her sleep addled brain to think up an excuse for why she was in the men's dorm hallway.

Roadhog had a passed out Junkrat slung over his shoulder and simply stared down at the frightened woman in silence. For Pharah an eternity seemed to pass as she stared up at the massive Junker, fearfully thinking about what assumptions might spread if the australian brute spread the story of his encounter.

The silence was broken by a soft snort from Roadhog and he brushed past the frozen woman, speaking only three words.

"Nunna my business."

Watching Roadhog carry Junkrat into their room, Pharah let out a long sigh of relief and stumbled to her room. Flopping into her bed, Pharah fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

The next morning, Pharah sat with Mercy at a table in the cafeteria idly chatting over the breakfast of pancakes and fruit. Doing her best not to reveal her anxiety. Pharah occasionally glanced at the cafeteria doors waiting for Hellhound to arrive.

" _He won't remember will he?_ _He was totally drunk and almost incomprehensible...I really hope he doesn't remember what happened between us."_

Pharah was snapped out of her worrying by Tracer sitting down at their table with a cup of steaming tea.

"Ello luvs! That was one party last night huh? I can't believe Hellhound got totally smacked just from a few drinks. I mean it was pretty funny when he started blabbering on though."

Giggling to herself, Tracer took a sip of her tea as Mercy wagged a slender finger at her.

"Lena you and the other two should not have done that. We all know how Hellhound will do whatever we say even if he might not want to in the first place. Please be more mindful of that fact in the future."

Rolling her eyes, Tracer smiled at the Swiss doctor cheerily.

"Yes mum, but we can't just keep him all clueless about the regular world stuff. We gotta at least expose him to some stuff that everyone does."

Frowning slightly, Mercy sighed and went back to cutting up her pancakes.

"I guess you have a point Lena, but please try not get Hellhound into any trouble."

The door's to the cafeteria opened and Pharah stopped herself from jumping in surprise as she watched Hellhound stagger in. The man looked much worse for wear and grimaced at the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. Of course several other people noticed Hellhound's arrival and called out greetings or teasing remarks.

Seemingly oblivious to all the talking, Hellhound snatched a bottle of water from the kitchen and slumped into a chair in the corner of the room where the sunlight was at its dimmest.

Mercy and Tracer could not help themselves as they giggled at Hellhound's current state. Setting down her tea, Tracer watched Hellhound gulp down the water then bury his face in his arms.

"Aww poor bloke, I guess this is his first hangover as well. Let's go check on him."

Before Pharah could protest, she was being dragged over to Hellhound's table by Mercy as Lena appeared in a chair next to Hellhound in a flash of blue light. Pharah decided to stand as Mercy sat across from Hellhound.

"How are you feeling Hellhound? I can assume not well based on your current activity."

Mercy patted Hellhound's arm in a motherly fashion as the bedraggled man lifted his bloodshot eyes to glare at Tracer.

"I knew it was a bad idea to drink those...poisons...I can barely remember anything from last night. Then this morning I spent half an hour vomiting in the toilet with this unending headache."

Tracer laughed as Hellhound growled and covered his ears from the noises of clinking plates and chatter from other members.

"It's not so bad Hound, once you get used to it I mean. Sure we may have thrown you in the deep end, but you gotta build up a tolerance."

Mercy was about to speak when a plate of pancakes drowned in syrup slid to a stop in front of Hellhound.

"Mornin yall, I was grabbin some joe when I seen Hound here aint lookin too good, and figured I would grab him some grub. I know hangovers can be a bitch but it will go away after you get some water and food in ya."

Hellhound groaned as Mcree's telltale drawl assaulted his sensitive ears.

"Go away, I know how to recover from poisoning in the field I do not need your help."

Mcree chuckled at the grumpy Hellhound and sat down, putting his booted feet up on the table.

"Sure ya do buddy, so don't mind little ol' me while I drink my freshly brewed coffee."

Tracer and Mercy giggled softly as Pharah rolled her eyes.

"Do you really have to be this difficult first thing in the morning Mcree? You and Lena here are the reason why Hellhound is this hungover in the first place. At least be courteous enough to help him recover."

Mcree stroked his beard slowly as he stared down Pharah.

"Dont get your britches in a knot Fareeha. Just some good natured teasin, nuthin wrong with that. Though it seems you are a little protective of our new teammate here."

Pharah noticed Hellhound stiffen slightly at the gunslinger's observation, obviously knowing that the conversation was heading into dangerous territory. Before Pharah could retort, Mercy clicked her tongue disapprovingly at Mcree.

"Oh come now Jesse, you were there at the meeting where we discussed Fareeha's assignment with Hellhound. She takes her job very seriously and i applaud her dedication to the standards of Overwatch. Sometimes you could act a little more serious."

Mcree rolled his eyes and chuckled at Mercy's statement and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Woah there doc, just givin Fareeha some ribbin is all. No harm done right?"

Pharah gave a nod to Mercy in thanks and sat down next to Mcree and poked his feet off the table. The sound of cutlery clinking against a plate drew everyone's attention to the sight of Hellhound slowly sampling the pancakes in front of him. Looking up at his onlookers, Hellhound grumpily pulled the pancakes closer and began ravenously devouring them. Deciding to let Hellhound eat in peace, the group of friends chatted amicably amongst themselves as they all finished their beverages and meals. Soon after, Hellhound finished his food and slumped back in his chair.

"Well….i guess the food was not so bad. But I think i am going to go back to my quarters and rest."

Everyone bid their farewells to the hungover soldier and watched as he trudged out of the cafeteria. As the group was about to disperse, the sound of Winston's voice boomed over the room speakers.

"Attention all Overwatch agents, there will be a meeting in the briefing room in fifteen minutes. I repeat, meet in the briefing room in fifteen minutes."

The small group looked at each other in slight surprise, but began diligently cleaning up after themselves and finishing their morning routines.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone except Hellhound was in the briefing room sitting in chairs or leaning against the walls. Walking up to the metal podium, Winston tapped a few buttons on his trusty datapad and a large holographic screen appeared behind him.

"Good morning everyone, I have some special news. In three days there will be new additions to our agent roster."

The news was met with a round of questions only to be stopped as Winston held up his large furry hands for silence.

"Yes I know there are many questions you all have but right now we will go over the basic information. You can ask your questions to them yourselves when they arrive."

An image of a man encased in cybernetic armor with a glowing green helmet eye slit popped up on the screen.

"Genji Shimada, once a normal human he suffered extensive injuries to his body. Doctor Ziegler here was part of the official Overwatch team and helped rebuild Genji's body with many cybernetic enhancements in exchange for his assistance on Overwatch missions."

There were several murmurs of curiosity as Winston brought up the next image. This one featured a stern looking man with a trimmed beard and goatee wearing a one armed japanese combat robe. His bare arm was covered in a complicated and extensive dragon tattoo and was wielding a sleek and powerful bow.

Clearing his throat, Winston waited for his audience to settle down before continuing.

"Hanzo Shimada, former heir to the Shimada clan criminal empire. Very proficient in combat tactics and strategies as well as a master combat marksman with his bow and arrow. Obviously he is Genji Shimada's brother. The two have a...complicated history...but are now working together."

The next image that popped up brought a surprised round of remarks to which Winston once again held up a hand for silence. The image displayed showed an omnic in large loose orange pants with a red sash. The most noticeable feature being the collection of orbs hovering around his neck.

"Tekhartha Zenyatta, a monk that was once part of the group of omnic monks known as the Shambali. He is well versed in both diplomacy and combat so he will be in combat missions. He volunteered to accompany Genji Shimada in joining Overwatch as to hel-"

"HOLD ON A FUKKIN MINNIT!"

Winston was cut off by Junkrat's outraged statement, causing both him and many others to look at the angry australian in shock.

"Okay mate we have a problem here. First off we have this cyborg omnic wannabe. Now me and Roadie here can get along with just about anyone yeah? Good ol aussie charm and all that. But the ONE thing me and Roadie hate above all else are fuckin omnics! They aint like people! They just metal and gears and wires thinkin they can replace us! It was bad enough when the whole world nearly got taken over by those metal shits, but now yous sayin one and a half omnic are gonna be livin here?! Nuh uh mate, aint no way im even gonna be in the same room as those...things!"

There was a moment of silence as the group processed what Junkrat just said, followed by a flurry of shouts and other loud remarks. But the storm of voices was silenced by the primal roar of Winston's annoyance.

"ENOUGH!"

Adjusting his glasses that had been knocked askew by his outburst, Winston glared at everyone until his stern gaze fell on the angry Junkrat.

"Mister Fawkes I know you and Roadhog have a less than amicable history with omnics. But you are now a part of Overwatch, and we treat everyone equally and with respect. That includes omnics. If you want to retain your contract with Overwatch you will have to follow our rules. I am not saying you have to be nice, but at least keep your personal feelings from disrupting our mission."

Junkrat was seething at this point and pure hate had filled his voice.

"Oh well excuse me Mister Gorilla. I guess I will just forget how omnics nearly killed everyone, how the govmint took away my home just to kiss they metal asses, and also...oh that's right...how the outback is a RADIOACTIVE SHITHOLE! You lot sure like to be on yours high horses. Even after those metal fuckers killed your friends you just bend over and take it so that everyone is all nice and happy yeah?"

Immediately several people stood up in outrage to make Junkrat take his words back, only to be silenced by the rumbling growl of Roadhog as the massive brute stepped forward menacingly. Even in his prime Reinhardt would have had a tough time fighting Roadhog bare handed and everyone knew it. So while Junkrat looked around for anyone to fight, Roadhog simply crossed his arms over his massive gut and simply growled quietly.

Winston gripped the edges of the metal podium tight enough that the metal bent with an audible creak. Barely keeping the anger from his voice, Winston stared down the defiant Junkrat.

"Junkrat you and Roadhog are dismissed, if you want to quit then nobody is stopping you. Just remember that when you leave you have a world's worth of bounty hunters, assassins, and government agents waiting for you."

The tension in the room was palpable as the onlookers waited for a full on brawl to break out. After a few tense moments, Junkrat broke eye contact with Winston and walked out the door followed closely behind by the lumbering Roadhog. As soon as the pair was gone, everyone visibly relaxed and looked to Winston for direction. Closing his eyes tightly and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Winston wearily waved away the waiting agents.

"Alright meeting is over, I will remind you all one last time to please keep things civil. Those two may be...very stuck in their ways...but...they do have some credence to their claims. Australia and its history with omnics is….complicated. Especially with the groups of citizens who lived in the outback. Hopefully we can all calm down and figure this out later. Dismissed."

Not waiting for anyone, Winston shut down the holographic projector and wearily trudged out of the meeting room. There was a long awkward silence until people began leaving. Finding herself out in the hallway alone, Pharah paced up and down the hallway as she deliberated over the new developments. She had fought omnics before, but it had never really affected her personal life. It was just another mission and the omnics were just another enemy. But Junkrat and Roadhog had their entire way of life changed, and not for the better. Turning around to begin pacing in the other direction, Pharah stopped short when she nearly ran into Zarya.

"Oh! Excuse me Zarya. Just...thinking about what just happened."

Zarya smiled knowingly and patted Pharah on the shoulder.

"I can understand, Mei and I are going to gym. She needs to put on some muscle like strong woman, not just read all day."

Mei poked her head out from behind Zarya's bulk and huffed indignantly.

"Not everyone is a superhuman Zarya, I am just fine how I am. All I wanted was some workout tips but you turned this into a full blown warrior training session."

Zarya laughed heartily and gently thumped Mei on the back, knocking the chinese woman's glasses askew.

"I only see soft fluffy bunny, you need to be strong fluffy bunny! Come now we go to gym! Pharah will you join us?"

Pharah watched the two women in amusement and kept herself from laughing as Mei was forced to readjust her glasses.

"I do not see a reason to decline. Lead on Zarya."

Beaming in excitement, Zarya dragged a protesting Mei along as Pharah followed the exuberant russian giant to the Overwatch base gym room.

Changing into their workout clothes, the trio began their workouts. For Mei, her regimen was essentially following Zarya's orders and attempting to finish the different exercises without pulling a muscle. Pharah went about doing various low intensity exercises and watching the comedic duo in front of her.

After almost twenty minutes of intense exercise Zarya let the panting and sweating Mei take a break.

"Good! You finish warm up! Take five minute break and drink water, then we get back to making you strong fluffy bunny!"

Supporting herself on a nearby exercise machine, Mei looked at Zarya incredulously as she caught her breath.

"Are..you..serious?!...please Zarya...I feel like I...am going to..pass out…"

As Mei took large gulps from her water bottle, Zarya frowned as she processed Mei's response.

"Hrmmm...maybe you are right. Big muscle workout maybe too much for right now. Take break then go do umm...treadmill! Yes treadmill should be good, nice and easy for you."

Pharah could not help but laugh at Mei's sigh of relief as she sprawled out on the floor and closed her eyes. Turning to look at Zarya who had gone over to a dumbbell rack and was selecting her preferred weight set, Pharah wandered over and watched as Zarya began effortlessly lifting two massive metal dumbbells.

"Zarya, may I ask you a question? Specifically about what happened in the meeting with Junkrat."

Quirking an eyebrow questioningly, Zarya nodded as she continued her routine.

"Of course, was surprising to see Junkrat so angry. I was worried for moment, looked like Reinhardt was about to punch him. I was prepared to defend Reinhardt from Roadhog but would have been tough fight. Fighting with fists in regular clothes much different from fighting with weapons in armor. You understand yes?"

Pharah nodded and cracked her neck as she stretched her shoulders.

"Yes I do. What I wanted to ask was...you fought omnics to protect your home correct? Do you...hate omnics at all? For what they did to your hometown?"

The muscular russian paused mid lift as she pondered Pharah's question.

"Hrmm...I would say..yes..and no."

Pharah paused for a moment as Zarya responded and tried to understand her answer.

"What do you mean by yes and no? I am a little confused by what you mean."

Zarya turned to face Pharah as she changed her dumbbell lifting style.

"Is like this. In past wars, when humans fight humans, do we hate all humans? No. Is same with omnics. When my home was attacked, I scared and angry of course. I did not want to lose any friends or family, so I go home to fight. At that time I think I do hate all omnics, they kill my friends, attack my home, anyone would hate even a little. But after...it take time to think. I realize that omnics are like us. Some omnics good, some bad. Omnics that attack my home, bad. Omnics like shambali monks, good."

Setting down the dumbbells with a loud clang, Zarya stretched her arms and walked over to a weight bench. Pharah followed and took up the spotter position as Zarya set the weights.

"But Junkrat is different. My home is healed, we mourn yes but home is still there. Junkrat and Roadhog lose home, government force them to move and let omnics live there instead. Outback people fight omnics, omnics fight back. Endless cycle of revenge. Then omnium blow up and entire outback radioactive. Now people like Junkrat have no home, government doesn't care, and they seen as bad people. I am no expert of people. But if people think you are bad person, even if you are not. Then you might give up, get angry and sad, then dont care and become bad person to get back at those you hate. I think is what happened with Junkrat and Roadhog, all they know is how omnics made everything bad for them and nobody cared."

As Zarya began lifting the massive weights, Pharah pondered the russian warrior's surprisingly complex answer. For a few minutes, Pharah dutifully spotted Zarya during her weightlifting until the powerful woman stopped and sat up. As Zarya wiped the sweat from her face with a towel, Pharah nodded respectfully to her.

"Thank you for your insight Zarya, you are wiser than most."

Zarya guffawed loudly and thumped Pharah heartily on the back.

"Your welcome! If you want to talk and train, I always happy to help!"

Looking around, Zarya spotted Mei slowly jogging on a treadmill while reading something on a tablet. As Pharah left the gym, the sounds of Zarya's enthusiastic workout suggestions and Mei's half-hearted protests echoed out of the open gym doors until they closed shut.

The rest of the day was uneventful and passed quickly, Pharah went about her usual routines until dinner and discreetly checked on Hellhound occasionally. Hellhound had slept almost the entire day, save for one time where Pharah had caught him while he was awake. Deciding to keep the teasing and flirting to a minimum, Pharah brought Hellhound up to speed about the meeting information and the ensuing argument.

That night, Pharah was once again having trouble sleeping. While not having night terrors like previous nights, Pharah was still unable to sleep as her mind kept postulating about future scenarios involving her and Hellhound. Sighing in frustration, Pharah turned over and looked at the clock on her wall.

" _Two in the morning...great.."_

Slipping into a dark blue robe and matching slippers, Pharah walked out of her room and through the darkened hallways of the base. While she was slightly sleepy, Pharah was still aware of the fact that whenever she had ventured out at night on the base she usually ended up in some sort of predicament. Bracing herself for the worst, Pharah peeked into the recreation room. On the couch, Mcree slept with his hat over his eyes and an american flag blanket draped over his body.

Walking to the kitchen, Pharah peeked into the dimly lit room and searched for signs of life. A cup of now cold tea sat on the counter along with an empty peanut butter jar in the sink.

" _Looks like Tracer and Winston were talking, it seems like peanut butter is Winston's comfort food."_

Dumping the tea into the sink drain, Pharah cleaned out the peanut butter jar and put it in the correct trash bin. Grabbing a red jello cup from the fridge and a plastic spoon, Pharah meandered back down the hallway. Spotting a light coming from the library, Pharah poked her head around the door corner and looked inside. In a large plush ruby red chair, Symmetra sat with a cup of tea in one hand and a slowly rotating hologram landscape in the other. She wore a robe similar to Pharah's but was an emerald green. As Symmetra studied the hologram intensely, Pharah walked up and coughed softly.

"Hello Symmetra, am I interrupting anything?"

Looking up at Pharah, the indian architect shook her head and gestured to one of the several nearby chairs.

"Not all, I assume you are having trouble sleeping as well?"

Taking a seat in a plum colored armchair, Pharah nodded and yawned.

"Yes I am, it seems my mind is very….busy as of late."

Symmetra nodded sympathetically as she set down her tea on a nearby table.

"I too am being plagued by troublesome thoughts. It seems that Junkrat's...outburst..has dug up some old memories."

Pharah gestured to the hologram in Symmetra's hand curiously.

"What are you looking at? A geographic map of some sort?"

Symmetra smiled at Pharah's astute observation and nodded.

"Correct, a map of the Australian outback to be precise."

Expanding the hologram for Pharah to view easier, Symmetra stared at the rotating landscape with something akin to sorrow.

"Whenever I see a problem I want to fix it. If I spot a flaw I want to correct it. These traits are what made me excel in my job working with hard light. You may not know but I used to live in the slums, but I was taken in by the Vishkar Corporation at a young age. I often wonder how I would have turned out if I never was chosen. Junkrat is...somewhat relatable I think...he is a builder as well, constantly searching for improvements. While he may be dirty..loud..disorganized..rambunctious..and erratic. I can see part of myself in him. So his outburst made me curious and I did some leisurely research into the Australian omnic situation. Now it is two in the morning and I have been trying to find ways to...fix..the Australian outback for three hours straight."

Digging into her jello cup, Pharah listened intently to Symmetra's thoughts. Something seemed off about Symmetra's relationship with Junkrat but Pharah could not put her finger on it. Shrugging to herself and dismissing her suspicions as sleep deprived ramblings, Pharah finished the jello cup and threw her trash away in a nearby trash bin. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Pharah nodded sympathetically.

"I can relate sort of. I often get wrapped up in making sure things are finished correctly and completely. It seems we are more alike than I thought Symmetra."

The indian woman smiled and shut off the hologram.

"Please, call me by my name. If you do not mind me addressing you by your name as well."

Pharah smiled softly and nodded.

"Of course, Satya. I am glad we had this opportunity to talk. It seems like we may have more of these late night encounters in the future if our minds stay as active as they are now."

Laughing softly, Symmetra stood up and picked up her tea.

"It seems so, goodnight Fareeha."

As Symmetra walked out of the library doorway, Pharah stretched tiredly and stared out a nearby window into the night sky. After a few minutes of silent reflection, Pharah shuffled back to her room and climbed into her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Pharah sat at a table in the cafeteria with Dva eating a bran muffin as the diminutive korean girl rambled on about various social media happenings.

"-and then Lucio tweeted back at the guy calling him out to say it to his face! It was sooo funny! That slimy music critic deleted all of his tweets and lost like a lot of followers!"

Pharah grunted in agreement as she half-listened while mulling over what to do for the day. Noticing Pharah's lack of interest, DVa began to sulk and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Cmon Pharah! At least try to act like you care! I swear I am the only one in this entire base that actually uses social media!"

Tracer immediately zipped over next to DVa to comment but was stopped by the pouting girl's upheld hand.

"Browsing your fans accounts when they talk about you does not count! I mean actively use it and not just browsing different sites when you are bored."

Closing her mouth in disappointment, Tracer disappeared in a blur of blue light and appeared back at her table sipping a cup of tea.

"What is the purpose of social media? It seems to only exist to collect information and find weaknesses in your enemies."

Hellhound put down a tray with three bowls of different cereals and began pouring milk into all three as DVa perked up happily in response to his question.

"L,O,L...Houndy I swear you could have a podcast or your own web show. Social media allows people to connect with each other all over the world! Like, say there is a guy in..um..japan who likes a certain band. He makes a post about how he loves their one song and then a girl in sweden posts on it how it is her fav song as well. They start talking and eventually they meet up and fall in love! Stuff like that happens like all the time!"

Hellhound looked at DVa in confusion as he ate his first bowl of cereal, clearly not understanding her example. Slapping her palm against her forehead, DVa sighed dramatically and shook her head.

"Houndy...one day you and I are going to have a course in like being a normal person. I mean not that you aren't funny and cute and stuff already. I mean like if you end up on your own in a city or something. You can't go around to people asking for like dropzone coordinates and stuff."

Hellhound finished the first bowl of cereal and shrugged uncaringly.

"If you think I would benefit from a preparatory lesson then I would not decline. But I think focusing on combat effectiveness is the best current strategy."

Pharah bristled slightly when DVa once again tried to flirt with Hellhound, but calmed down when the pale soldier ignored the flirtation. DVa huffed and grumbled as Hellhound dug into his second bowl of cereal.

"Houndy c'mon! All of us in here can kick anyone's ass that even tries to mess with us! You need to relax a little."

Slurping down the last of the cereal and milk in the second bowl, Hellhound looked at DVa with a strange expression on his face.

"So do you think you could beat me in a fight?"

DVa paused in surprise at the question. Even Pharah stopped to listen intently, noticing the strange expression on Hellhound's face.

Snorting dismissively, DVa grinned at Hellhound challengingly.

"I think I can mister tough guy, me and my mech can take down anyone and anything. Tons have tried but nobody has beaten me yet."

Setting down his spoon, Hellhound stared back at the cocky gamer.

"I mean in hand to hand combat, all you have is your mech. Without it you are helpless."

DVa's grin flickered as a flash of nervousness dampened her confidence.

"Hey now that ain't fair, me fighting you with just my hands is impossible. Plus I have my gun when I am outside my mech."

Hellhound thought for a moment before responding.

"True...to make it fair you can choose one other person to fight with you. Or two if you really need the help."

The proverbial gauntlet had been thrown and DVa knew it. Backing down now would verify the opinion that DVa was weaker than Hellhound. With Pharah as a witness, the cost of Dva losing face if she backed down now was almost guaranteed.

Putting on a brave face, DVa leered at Hellhound.

"Oh I see how it is. You know what I don't need anyone to help me. But I get to use some weapons to make it fair. No guns of course cuz that would be cheating. So how about now Houndy? You started this but now everyone is gonna know you got your ass handed to you by a girl."

Staring unblinkingly back at DVa, Hellhound nodded in agreement.

"Then it is decided, the match will be in the sparring ring at four this afternoon."

For the first time since he had arrived Hellhound smiled. But DVa and Pharah realized that it was not a normal smile. It was a smile akin to a predator eyeing it's prey, and Pharah suddenly recognized the strange expression on Hellhound's face. It is one she had seen many times before during battles, a mix of excitement and bloodlust.

DVa reflexively edged back slightly at the predatory expression on Hellhound's face, looking to Pharah for any kind of help. Pharah could only shrug helplessly, since DVa was the one who had gotten herself into her current predicament.

Hellhound quickly finished his third bowl of cereal and exited the cafeteria, leaving a pale faced DVa sitting at the table biting her nails nervously. Noticing DVa's worried expression, Mercy got up from her table and walked over.

"Hana are you alright? You look a little ill."

DVa shook her head and mumbled quietly, mostly to herself as if realizing what happened was reality.

"I'm gonna..um..fight Hellhound."

Mercy paused for a moment and laughed softly and patted DVa's head.

"Could you speak up Hana? It sounded like you said you were going to fight Hellhound."

DVa paused then simply nodded her head, making Mercy immediately stop laughing and look at DVa in terror.

"What?! Are you serious!?"

Mercy turned to Pharah with a fearful look and hugged DVa protectively.

"Is this true Fareeha?! What happened?!"

Pharah recounted what just happened and watched as Mercy's face changed from fear to annoyance.

"Hana...I would say that you should not do this...but you did get yourself into this. You are a little too competitive for your own good and this is not the first time your hot head has gotten you into trouble."

The news of the upcoming match spread like wildfire through the base and soon almost everyone was trying to help DVa prepare. Reinhardt and Zarya were holding a strategy meeting discussing Hellhound's possible fighting styles and how to counter them. Mcree and Torbjorn were in the armory making a list of non-lethal weapons DVa could use while Winston was simply hiding in his office waiting for everything to calm down. Mei, Tracer, Symmetra, and Pharah were with DVa in the sparring ring providing encouragement and trying to distract the nervous korean girl from Mercy setting up her medical equipment nearby.

"Don't worry luv! Everythin will be fine, it's not like Hound will really hurt ya. He is just being a macho man, all guys love this kinda stuff! He'll just toss ya around and scare ya a lil bit is all."

Tracer cheerily rambled as she held a punching bag for DVa who practiced various punches and kicks.

"You said you are proficient in both taekwondo and hapkido correct? It is not like you are totally defenseless in hand to hand combat. Remember what you were taught and play to your strengths, speed and mobility are your best options. Wear him down and wait for him to make a mistake."

Symmetra sat nearby in a folding chair as she read about various martial arts on her tablet, providing logical advice for combating Hellhound. Mei and Pharah stood quietly off to the side watching DVa practice. Turning to face Pharah, Mei tried and failed to keep the worry out of her voice.

"He won't hurt her right Pharah? It is like Tracer is saying, that he is just doing this to prove a point? Right?"

Pharah recalled the bloodthirsty smile on Hellhound's face and could not help but feel a shiver run down her spine.

"In all honesty?" I am not sure. You did not see the smile on his face when DVa took the challenge. I have seen that look in soldiers before, where they are aching for a fight and will take on any opponent to sate that bloodlust."

Mei let out a worried whimper and turned back to watch DVa train as Pharah tried to predict what might happen.

Soon after, Reinhardt and Zarya came in with a tablet and several bottles of drinks while DVa rested and rehydrated.

"Hello little Hana! Zarya and I have combined our knowledge to help give you an edge in this fight! I am very excited to see Talon's combat techniques first hand. You have a great honor being the first to officially fight him!"

Reinhardt talked excitedly as Zarya activated a small portable holographic display.

"We know that Hellhound is soldier, he will very probably fight like one. You must not let him grab you, he will break you like twig or choke you like snake. He does not know you have training as well. Combine training with weapon and you can win. Keep moving, you are fast and small. Aim for legs, back of knee, ankle, joints. Make him slow, do not try to end with super strike punch like in movie. You make him slow, then tired, then he sloppy. Best attack would be knock out, no trying for chokeholds. No matter how thick, skull is still a weak point."

Zarya outlined various techniques and counters complete with holographic tutorials and examples while DVa watched in dread.

"Hey grandpa, you can take my place and fight Houndy first if ya want. I dunno why you are so excited about me getting beat up."

Reinhardt chuckled heartily at DVa's sarcasm as Mcree and Torbjorn walked in with an assortment of weapons.

"Hey yall, me and Torb here got some goods that'll help lil Hana here come out on top."

Torbjorn laid out several weapons in front of DVa and began explaining each one's purpose.

"First one here is old reliable. A stun baton, hard enough beat up just about anything along with a good electric shock that will fry anyone's brain. But with Talon they mighta prepared for that so we have more. Second one here is the bolo wire. Usually there is a gun version but this will fit in the rules. Throw it at his legs and the magnets inside will wrap around his ankles and trip him up. Now this last one here is a beauty, a little project of mine."

Torbjorn pulled out a black glove with several armored plates on the fingers and hand.

"This wee thing is your ace in the hole. It has kinetic accelerators inside to make ya hit like a truck. But it only has enough juice for maybe two or three hits so make sure your punches connect."

DVa examined the various weapons and smiled slightly at all of her friends banding together to help her.

"Awww you guys! At first I was super scared but now I feel like I have a chance. All of you are amazing, being like super helpful and supportive. I almost feel bad for Houndy, he doesn't know what is coming."

There was a round of laughter as everyone cheered and began the preparations for the match.

Unbeknownst to the assembled helpers, a small camera painted with a messily painted smiley face sat nestled in an alcove of a light fixture. The camera had been recording everything happening in the gym and transmitting it back to a tablet in Hellhound's hands.

Making another note, Hellhound looked up from the transmission stream at his two compatriots.

"Thank you for your assistance. These surveillance tactics will highlight many possible security breaches in the base and teach everyone a lesson in base security and defense."

Junkrat cackled merrily as he fiddled with one of his bear traps while Roadhog simply snorted as he watched the door to the workshop.

"Whateva mate, you just keep your end of the deal yeah? Me and Roadie help you with this and then you owe us big time."

Hellhound nodded as he went back to watching the spycam feed on his tablet.

"Of course, a deal is a deal. I felt the need to begin contributing to the team and this is an excellent way to do that. When you feel the safest is when you are the most vulnerable, exploit any weakness with any method. Talon has followed this advice since the beginning and it has always yielded results. This will be an example of psychological warfare and a way to prepare Overwatch for the coming war."


	12. Chapter 12

Hello all! Sooo...new chapter...yay...I know a lot of you are probably unhappy with my posting rate and I completely understand. There is a little thing at the end explaining the delay if you wanna read it.

As always, if you like the story leave a review! Even something as simple as "yay an update!" shows me that at least one person enjoys my work. Also if you have any suggestions or ideas for possible chapter ideas or plot points, feel free to leave a review or send me a message directly!

* * *

It was ten minutes before four o'clock when Hellhound walked into the training room with a duffel bag over his shoulder. Everyone that had been helping prepare Hana gave him a variety of greetings ranging from nervous to excited. Returning the greetings, Hellhound made his way over to the sparring area, sat down on a bench, and began rummaging through his bag. As Hana began donning the various pieces of protective gear, Pharah went and stood next to Hellhound curiously.

"What is in the bag Hellhound?"

Pulling out a pair of arm guards and shin guards along with matte black gloves, Hellhound began putting on his gear.

"Protective gear, am I not allowed to wear any?"

Pharah frowned as she glanced over at the gear DVa was wearing then back to Hellhound.

"You know there is sparring gear here right? You did not have to bring your own."

Hellhound finished tightening the last strap on his gear and stood up. Performing various stretches, Hellhound shrugged at Pharah's question.

"I am aware, but I am using gear that will provide me an advantage over DVa's weapons."

Looking at Hellhound's gear suspiciously, Pharah felt a twinge of unease run through her body.

"And how did you know what weapons DVa would be using?"

Hellhound shrugged noncommittally and ignored Pharah's question as he stepped into the ring. A few moments later, DVa stepped into the ring as well armed with her arsenal of weapons.

"Last chance to back out Houndy! I have a whole team backing me up and some cool toys to kick your ass with!"

Hellhound rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles with a blank face.

"Lesson one, never let confidence outweigh your caution when fighting any opponent."

DVa rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance as Reinhardt laughed merrily in the background.

"Oh come on Houndy, are you really gonna turn this into some kinda teaching moment?"

DVa was interrupted as Mercy stepped into the middle of the ring and looked at Hellhound nervously.

"Hellhound there are some rules you need to follow. No underhanded moves like biting, eye gouging, and genital strikes. If Hana has had enough and taps out you are to step back immediately. Please refrain from using any techniques that could be lethal or cause serious injury. Understood?"

Hellhound nodded as he assumed a fighting stance.

"Understood, incapacitate the target with non-lethal methods."

The uneasiness in Pharah increased as she noticed Hellhound slip back into combat mode, speaking as if he was on an actual combat mission.

Mercy nodded and turned to DVa.

"Same rules for you Hana, if Hellhound taps out or verbally yields you are to stop attacking immediately."

DVa rolled her eyes as she bounced on her feet excitedly.

"Yeah yeah, I promise not to beat him up too much."

Mercy sighed in resignation, stepped back to the edge of the sparring ring, and held up a small whistle.

"You may begin when I blow the whistle."

Everyone went silent as Hellhound and DVa squared off and waited for the whistle.

The sound of the whistle pierced everyone's ears and before the sound had faded away Hellhound was already rushing towards DVa. Luckily DVa had been ready and rolled out of the way while swiping the stun baton at Hellhound's legs. DVa laughed excitedly as she bounced back up and began circling Hellhound.

"Zarya and Reinhardt told me all about your fighting style Houndy, don't think your tricks will work on me."

DVa followed up her taunt by rushing forward and making a feint to the left only to swing the now crackling stun baton on the right. DVa felt the impact of the stun baton hitting Hellhound and looked up expectantly with a haughty smile on her face. Her smile was instead replaced by a look of shock as she realized Hellhound had caught the stun baton with a gloved hand and was holding it easily without being shocked.

"Lesson two, always be prepared for unknown variables in combat."

Yanking the stun baton out of DVa's hands, Hellhound grabbed both ends and snapped it in half as several onlookers cried out in confusion.

"Hey! That's not fair! How did you get your hands on that gear?!"

Tracer crossed her arms unhappily as Zarya eyed Hellhound suspiciously.

"Is very suspicious, how did you know about stun baton?"

Hellhound simply ignored the questions and delivered a quick strike to DVa's abdomen. Coughing in pain, DVa stumbled back and put her arms up in a guarded stance while glaring at Hellhound.

"Hey that's unfair! How did you-"

She was cut off as she dodged away from Hellhound who had rushed her again and tried to grab her.

"Lesson three, adaptability is crucial to surviving any combat scenario."

DVa growled in frustration as she counter attacked with several kicks and punches.

"Oh shut up! You are getting really freakin annoying Houndy!"

DVa barely managed to avoid a heavy kick from Hellhound but was knocked off balance and stumbled backward several steps.

"Lesson four, never le-"

Hellhound was cut off as DVa threw her bolo wire at his face. Instinctively bringing his hands up to shield his face, Hellhound grunted in surprise as the bolo wire wrapped around his arms and pulled forcefully pulled them together. Before he could react, DVa dashed forward and activated her gauntlet as she punched Hellhound in the chest. A loud wheeze of pain was forced out of Hellhound's mouth as he was sent flying backwards several feet and landing in a heap on the mats.

Everyone was silent for a few moments as DVa looked at the gauntlet on her hand in awe.

"Holy shit torb! This thing is crazy!"

Looking up, DVa realized that Hellhound was not moving as he lay on the ground. Her face went pale with fear and she rushed forward to kneel next to the downed soldier.

"Ohgodohgodohgod! Houndy I'm so sorry! Are you okay?! Please be okay I'm so sor-guckkk!"

DVa let out a strangled cry as Hellhound's hands wrapped around her throat. Standing up, Hellhound wheezed painfully and stared mercilessly into DVa's eyes as he put her into a stranglehold.

Flailing in panic, DVa blindly kicked Hellhound in the chest and felt something crack. Coughing in pain, Hellhound dropped DVa and stumbled backwards. Scrambling back to her feet, DVa watched Hellhound fearfully as he spat out a glob of bloody spit onto the mats.

"Houndy lets stop this! You don't need to keep this up to prove a point! Just stop before you hurt yourself even more!"

Straightening up, Hellhound looked down at his tied hands. Growling in effort, Hellhound twisted his left hand until a wet pop was heard. Everyone stared in a mixture of fear and awe as Hellhound pulled his now dislocated hand out from the constricting wire.

"Lesson...five...to surrender...in combat...means death…"

Pulling the wire off of his other hand, Hellhound slowly trudged forward with and shoved his dislocated hand back into place with a pained grimace. DVa looked around at her friends for help as she backed away from the slowly advancing Hellhound.

"Houndy calm down! This is not a real fight! Please don't hurt yourself even more!"

Mercy rushed forward and stepped in front of Hellhound and put her hands out to stop him.

"Hellhound that is enough! You are in no state to continue!"

Mercy's command was met only with a blank stare as she was shoved aside by Hellhound while he got closer to DVa.

"Lesson...six...pain...is not...an excuse...for failure…"

Hellhound was now talking as if in a trance as a broken rib poked out of his shirt and blood began staining the fabric. DVa continued to back away fearfully and looked around for help.

"Guys I dunno what's wrong with him! He wont stop and I don't wanna hurt him!"

At this point everyone was in agreement that that match was over and that Hellhound needed to be stopped. Calmly stepping in front of DVa, Zarya crossed her arms and stared at Hellhound.

"Hellhound now is time to stop. You are hurt."

The muscle bound russian grabbed Hellhound's shoulders to stop him but was met with a hard headbutt to the face. As Zarya stumbled back with a broken and bleeding nose, Reinhardt came up from behind and put Hellhound into a gentle but firm headlock.

"Aufstehen my friend, your battle is over."

Snarling in pain and frustration, Hellhound clawed at Reinhardt's massive arms but could not find a way to escape the towering german's hold. A few moments later, Mercy rushed over with a tranquilizer in hand.

"Hold him still please Reinhardt."

Grunting the affirmative, Reinhardt tightened his hold on the struggling Hellhound as Mercy jabbed the sedative into Hellhound's neck. Moments later, Hellhound went limp and slumped into Reinhardt's arms. He was then quickly carried to the infirmary by Reinhardt with Mercy close behind, leaving everyone staring at the door in silence. Shaking herself out of her daze, Mei rushed over to Zarya and began worriedly fussing over her broken nose.

"Zarya! Are you okay?! Do you need help getting to the infirmary?!"

Zarya simply laughed loudly and wiped some bloody mucus off of her lip with the back of her hand.

"Calm yourself Mei, is not first time my nose is broken. Was good headbutt!"

Meanwhile everyone else had crowded around the shaken DVa who was sitting on a bench with Symmetra checking her over. Wincing as Symmetra methodically inspected her darkening bruises, DVa sniffled sadly as she stared at the bloodstains on the sparring mats.

"I didn't wanna hurt him I swear! But why did he keep on trying to fight? Did he really not want to lose that bad?"

Tracer sat down next to DVa and gave her a gentle hug.

"Nobody is blamin you for what happened Hana. It looked like Hound got a switch flipped or somethin and his Talon brainwashin came back."

Finishing her examination, Symmetra stood up and nodded in agreement.

"I think Tracer is correct, it seems that Hellhound is still somewhat under the effects of Talon's programming. I for one am hesitant to leave him unsupervised or unmonitored from now on. If he relapses again and nobody is around to stop him he could cause significant damage or injury."

Pharah stood silently nearby and listened to the conversation. As much as she wanted to defend Hellhound, Symmetra did have valid concerns. Torbjorn and Mcree wandered over after finishing their own private discussion and joined the group comforting DVa.

"I knew lettin him off his leash was a bad idea. He nearly killed Hana and himself this time. Until we can be absolutely sure he is not a threat he should have his collar on at all times."

Pharah bristled as Torbjorn voiced his opinion and was about to snap at him when Mcree interjected.

"Calm down hoss, sure Hellhound is damaged goods. But if we go back to treatin him like a rabid dog aint nobody gonna find a way to help him. Now you may be right about the collar as much as I don't wanna admit, it might be a safe bet for now."

DVa continued to sniffle sadly as Tracer tried to comfort her while Zarya was dragged away by Mei to the infirmary. Pharah sighed in defeat and wearily walked out of the gym and back to her room. Turning a corner, she was greeted by the sight of Junkrat and Roadhog sitting in the middle of the hallway and playing a card game.

"Hah! Go fish ya big gob! That's two fer me!"

Junkrat cackled loudly as Roadhog took two cards and rolled a pair of dice.

"Yahtzee."

Junkrat looked down at the dice in disbelief as Roadhog chuckled in his raspy voice and collected a pile of poker chips.

"Ay yer cheatin! Was my turn to roll!

Roadhog shook his head and pointed to a piece of paper covered in messy handwriting.

"Nuh uh, got pair a queens."

Squinting at the paper, Junkrat scratched his head in confusion.

"Ya sure? But I thought we said kings wuz fer yahtzee?"

Noticing Pharah's shadow, Junkrat looked up and gave her a toothy grin.

"G'day Lady Jumpa! Wanna join?"

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Pharah crossed her arms and looked down at the smiling Junkrat.

"No I do not want to join, besides you two are blocking the hallway and I need to get past."

Junkrat grumbled and scooted over next to Roadhog, leaving smudges of grease and ash on the floor and wall.

"Well geeze just bein neighborly, who pissed in ya tea?"

Pharah growled and stomped past the Australian duo. Leaving the two Junkers to continue their bizarre game.

Retreating to her room, Pharah locked the door behind her and flopped backwards onto her bed. Rubbing her eyes, Pharah reached over to the nearby nightstand and pulled out a small hologram photo album tablet. Holding the tablet above her, Pharah began slowly scrolling through the multitude of pictures. Many of the pictures where from when she was a young girl, prominently featuring herself with various members of the original Overwatch. There was a picture of a young laughing Pharah riding on Reinhardt's shoulders. Her playing chess with Commander Morrison while eating cookies. A cackling Pharah being chased by an angry Torbjorn with pink paint on his head. A younger, clean shaven Mcree trying (and failing) to learn soccer from young Pharah, and many more with her mother Ana Amari. The legendary sniper and charismatic leader second only to Morrison himself.

Scrolling to a new set of pictures, Pharah smiled slightly remembering spending time with her favorite Overwatch member. A beaming young Pharah with a small cut on her lip and a bloody nose sat in the lap of the tall and muscular Gabriel Reyes as he laughed happily while tending to her injuries. Another picture featured young Pharah wearing boxing gloves that were too big for her and attempting to hit a punching bag while Gabriel Reyes stood behind her giving instructions.

For some reason the normally gruff and aloof Reyes had taken a shine to Pharah and whenever Ana Amari brought her daughter to work Reyes always made time to play with or watch Pharah. Eventually Pharah began calling Reyes "Uncle Gabriel" and began to look up to him as both a mentor and somewhat of a father figure. One could say that Pharah's defining traits of being tough, self-reliant, and somewhat hot-headed might have been learned from Uncle Gabriel himself.

The final picture in the album depicted a young Pharah in Overwatch pajamas sleeping on a couch cuddled up to a snoring Reyes as Ana draped a blanket of the two with a loving smile.

Putting the photo album down, Pharah sighed and rolled over to stare the medals and various achievements decorating her wall. Losing her mother and Reyes had turned the once lively and tomboyish Pharah into a jaded girl driven to live up to her mother's legacy.

Closing her eyes, Pharah slowly dozed off as she reminisced about her childhood and how much things had changed.

A few hours later, Pharah was awoken by knocking on her door. Yawning and getting out of her bed, Pharah trudged over to the door and wearily opened it up. Outside, an unusually reserved Tracer smiled slightly as she leaned against the wall.

"Heya Fareeha, Hound is up and Angela said you might wanna talk to him and stuff."

Nodding stiffly, Pharah closed the door behind her and followed Tracer to the infirmary in an awkward silence. Entering the infirmary, Pharah made her way to the room Hellhound was in and walked in to be greeted by the sight of Mercy and Winston standing next to the bed of a reclining but alert Hellhound.

"Ah agent Pharah, your arrival is actually quite convenient. I was just telling Hellhound and Angela about the decision to reactivate his restraining collar."

Winston adjusted his glasses as he talked, obviously trying to avoid Mercy's angry stare.

"Winston this is very unfair. Just because he had a slight relapse does not mean we have to go back to treating him like a psychopathic killer."

Mercy kept her voice level but her expression gave away how opposed she was to the decision to put the restraining collar back on Hellhound.

"Umm...if I may Doctor Zeigler."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Hellhound as he kept his gaze lowered to avoid meeting anyone's gaze.

"I intend to fully cooperate with the decision to provide a means to remotely incapacitate me. It seems that Talon's brainwashing still has partial control over my actions and I do not want to put anyone else in danger again. I appreciate your concern but I do not resent those who feel threatened by me after this incident. It is a valid concern and the safety of Overwatch should take priority of my comfort. If it gives everyone peace of mind I will willingly submit to any type of preventive measures."

Winston sighed wearily and nodded his thanks to Hellhound.

"Thank you for your understanding of the situation agent Hellhound. You are still an Overwatch Agent and your everyday activities will not be affected in any way. This is simply for everyone's safety."

The bespectacled gorilla glanced pointedly at Mercy who sighed in defeat and walked out of the room without a word. Pharah watched sadly as Winston attached a smaller and less constricting collar around Hellhound's neck and then left.

Sitting down in a chair next to Hellhound, Pharah tried to think of something comforting to say as the awkward silence filled the room.

"I apologize for any distress I put you in Pharah, I thought I was free of Talon's control but it seems that my mind is still affected by their...programming."

Hellhound avoided looking at Pharah's eyes by fiddling with the edge of the thin blanket draped over his legs as he talked without any emotion.

Pharah felt a twinge of sadness run through her and she resisted the urge to lean over and hug the dejected man.

"Hellhound you do not need to apologize. Nobody is blaming you for what happened and I do not think any less of you. Understood?"

Hellhound simply nodded and continued to fiddle with the blanket, obviously not feeling any better about himself. Frowning, Pharah reached out to touch his hand but was saddened even more as Hellhound pulled away slightly to avoid her touch. Pulling her chair closer to Hellhound's bedside, Pharah tried once more.

"Hellhound look at me."

Hellhound paused but simply kept his gaze on the blanket.

"I would rather not."

Pharah huffed in annoyance and put some strictness in her tone.

"Hellhound look at me that is an order."

Hellhound's fingers twitched but eventually he raised his head to look Pharah in the eyes. His normally blank face was still hard to read but Pharah could see hints of regret and unhappiness. Reaching out, Pharah gently took the pale soldier's hand in her own and squeezed comfortingly.

"Stop focusing on what happened, you cannot change the past but you can find ways to prevent something like this from occurring again. I am here for you and will help in any way I can. We need you at your best and spending time focusing on this is not helping you."

Hellhound was silent for several moments but eventually nodded.

"Understood, thank you for...your support. It is greatly appreciated Pharah."

Pharah smiled teasingly and leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially.

"Remember what I told you about talking to me in private?...Erik."

Hellhound visibly flinched when Pharah called him by his real name while his ears flushed bright red.

"Umm...yes Pharah..I mean...Fareeha…"

Pharah could barely hear when Hellhound used her first name but smiled happily knowing he did remember.

"Good, that was not so hard was it? Now you get some rest. Tomorrow we have the new recruits arriving and I feel we might have some...issues...with Junkrat and Roadhog's prejudiced views."

Hellhound tried to form a response but Pharah was already leaving. Just before she left the room, Pharah looked back and gave the flustered soldier a teasing wink. Of course Hellhound only flushed brighter red causing Pharah to giggle happily as she walked out of the infirmary and back to her room.

* * *

Alright so here is where I provide an excuse for my slowness in updating...honestly I don't have a good excuse. I am terrible when it comes to procrastination, always have been. In high school I was the kid always frantically doing the homework ten minutes before the teacher collects it. I kept on making excuses and next thing I know more than a month has passed. I am not asking for forgiveness or anything, just being honest and providing an explanation.

If you guys feel I am not updating fast enough or it has been a long time since an update, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A REVIEW/COMMENT REMINDING ME! I get email alerts for reviews so it is an almost surefire way to get my attention.

But please don't be too mean ;_;


	13. Chapter 13

Hello all, as usual I apologize for the late update. Had some family drama going on but hopefully it is over now. This chapter is a little shorter than usual but I did not want to delay it any longer. I am already working on the next update so hopefully it will be up soon. Thank you to those who are still interested in my story! As always, leave a review or send me a message if you want. Thanks!

* * *

"Fareeha?...Fareeha!"

Pharah snapped out of her musings to turn and look at a slightly concerned Mercy.

"I am sorry Angela, I just have a lot on my mind."

Mercy smiled as she stabbed a piece of lasagna with her fork and looked around the cafeteria at the other Overwatch members.

"I understand, it is about Hellhound right?"

Pharah quickly turned to focus on chasing a rogue pea on her plate with her fork to hide the slight blush on her face.

"Sort of...but I was also thinking about how to handle any future situations with the junkers and omnics."

It was not a total lie, the initial introductions of the three new members who arrived in the morning had gone well enough. Junkrat had surprisingly not caused any trouble, instead he just limited his contact with Zenyatta and Genji to a few grunts then stomped off to the firing range. Of course for the rest of the day the echoes of various explosions could be heard throughout the base as Junkrat vented his anger.

Mercy nodded in agreement as she ate the last few bites of her dinner and set her fork down.

"Yes, if we ever have a mission that has us working alongside or assisting omnics we will have to keep Junkrat on a short leash. Though I also worry about Roadhog and what he might do. It seems he is more sensible than Junkrat but if he does have the same prejudiced opinions about omnics he could be very difficult to handle if he acts out."

The moment the words left her mouth the doors of the cafeteria opened and the two Australian mercenaries walked in. Everyone in the cafeteria either tensed up or cast discreet looks over at Zenyatta and Genji sitting at a table near one of the windows. Of course after the initial introductions Winston had discreetly informed Zenyatta of Junkrat's opinions about omnics and warned the robotic monk about any future interactions. To his credit, Zenyatta had taken the warnings in stride and insisted that the only way to overcome Junkrat's hate was with understanding and compassion.

As for Hanzo, he had distanced himself from Genji and Zenyatta and had taken his dinner somewhere outside to eat alone.

After grabbing their food, Junkrat and Roadhog sat at a table on the opposite side of the room away from Zenyatta and Genji. Junkrat appeared to be animatedly talking to Roadhog about something as he waved around his fork while his massive bodyguard simply ate in silence.

Mercy cast a worried glance at Pharah who silently nodded in agreement. It was only a matter of time before something happened between the Australians and Zenyatta. After a few moments of tense anticipation, it seemed that Junkrat had no intention of starting any trouble and everyone in the cafeteria visibly relaxed and went back to either eating or talking. Looking around, Pharah saw Hellhound eating alone at his usual table in the corner of the cafeteria.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Hellhound looked up from his meal and locked eyes with Pharah. Usually Pharah would have immediately avoided his stare but today she discreetly pointed at Junkrat then over to Zenyatta. After a few moments Hellhound nodded in understanding and went back to eating his food while keeping an eye on Junkrat.

Feeling a little more relieved now that Hellhound was looking out for any trouble, Pharah turned to come face to face with a smiling Mercy.

"Well, it seems you and Hellhound are getting along quite well. What were you doing just now? If you wanted to talk to him you do not have to worry about me getting in your way."

Blushing slightly again, Pharah kept a straight face and shook her head dismissively.

"Angela it is nothing like that, I was simply telling him to keep an eye on Junkrat and be ready to intervene should a commotion arise."

Pharah grabbed her plastic cup of water and drank slowly as Mercy shrugged.

"I see...but you know eventually people are going to notice infatuation you have with him."

Pharah's eyes became wide as saucers as she nearly spit out her water in surprise. Coughing violently as she tried to keep herself from choking, Pharah caught her breath and whirled around to see Mercy grinning knowingly.

"Did you really think I would not notice Fareeha? I know you better than anyone here. I mean I can see why you are interested in him. He is certainly attractive and has a very…impressive physique."

Pharah turned bright red as she realized what Mercy was implying and spluttered in embarrassment.

"Angela! Just how do you know tha-"

Pharah was cut off as Mercy held up a hand and smiled cheekily.

"Pharah I am the resident doctor on this base and I had to conduct a standard physical examination of Hellhound when he arrived. Do not worry I am not planning on stealing him from you or anything of the sort."

Looking around to make sure nobody overheard their conversation Pharah moved closer to Mercy.

"Angela! How long did you know?! And why are you telling me now?! Is it that obvious?!"

Pharah tried to keep her voice down as she began to panic, fearing what would happen if her less than professional relationship with Hellhound became known.

Mercy reached over and gently placed a hand on Pharah's shoulder.

"Fareeha calm down. Nobody else knows, but I am like a sister to you and you should have expected me to realize what was going on sooner or later."

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Pharah avoided Mercy's eyes in embarrassment as she shrugged meekly.

"I umm...I don't know...I thought I was being discreet about it…"

Mercy had to keep herself from giggling as the normally headstrong and confident Pharah was acting like an embarrassed teenager.

"So...how far have you gotten? If you need any contracep-"

Pharah clamped a hand over Mercy's mouth as her face flared a tomato red.

"Angela! Nononono! We haven't..I haven't...just no! We haven't even kissed yet!"

Realizing what she just said Pharah pulled her hands off of Mercy's mouth and stood up to leave only to be gently stopped by Mercy grabbing her wrist.

"Fareeha I am sorry I didn't mean to tease you so much. Please sit back down."

Reluctantly sitting back down in her seat, Pharah glared at Mercy in embarrassment.

"Angela don'to say things like that! Things aren't like that between us. It is...complicated…"

Mercy giggled softly and patted Pharah's hand reassuringly.

"Of course, I apologize. It is just it has been so long since I have had any..how do you say...girl talk with someone else. Plus you are so cute when you are embarrassed because it is a side of you I have rarely seen before."

Pharah tried to keep the sulky pout on her face but eventually sighed in defeat and buried her face in her hands.

"Angela please do not tell anyone else. This is a ver-"

She was cut off as Junkrat's angry voice shattered the calm atmosphere.

"Fuck off bolt head! I don't need you tryin to act like a human and actin all better than me!"

Everyone turned to see an angry Junkrat standing up as a floating Zenyatta held up his hands peacefully.

"Please calm yourself my friend. I mean no harm and I simply want to peacefully resolve any harmful ideas you may have."

True to his nature and teachings, Zenyatta did not seem at all dissuaded by Junkrat's outburst. His calm synthesized voice a stark contrast to Junkrat's angry accent.

Snarling like a feral animal, Junkrat stepped forward and roughly poked Zenyatta's metal chest.

"Listen here you shitty omnic, I ain't your friend and never will be! You aint foolin me with your whole bein a weird monk thing. Your just like all the other omnics, waitin for the right time to take over and kill all us humans! So fuck off before I turn your shiny head into a piss bucket!"

Suddenly a green and grey blur flashed past Zenyatta and slammed Junkrat up against a wall. Junkrat snarled as Genji pinned him against the wall and stared into his eyes.

"You will apologize to my master right now for your insolence. My master may be a messenger of peace but I do not take threats against him lightly."

Junkrat laughed harshly and glared into Genji's glowing green visor.

"Oh yeah? Well two can play at that game you wannabe omnic freak."

The thunderous footsteps of Roadhog shook the nearby furniture as he closed meaty fist around Genji's neck and pulled him off of Junkrat. Holding Genji up off the ground in a single-handed chokehold, Roadhog's rumbling growl emanated from behind his gas mask as he look over to check on Junkrat.

As everyone began to rush forward to intervene, they stopped as Hellhound stepped in front of them and put a hand on Junkrat's shoulder.

"Agent Junkrat, tell your bodyguard to stand down. If this continues I am sure you will be relieved of your duties and not receive any more money or protection from law enforcement or those hunting you to claim the bounty on your head."

Growling in frustration, Junkrat looked at Zenyatta then over at the crowd of angry and concerned agents nearby.

"Fine! Roady let the freak go."

As soon as the words left Junkrat's mouth, Roadhog dropped Genji and went over to stand protectively next to Junkrat.

A few moments later, the doors to the cafeteria slammed open and an enraged Winston leaped over several tables to land next to Junkrat.

"MISTER FAWKES! YOU AND MISTER RUTLEDGE ARE HEREBY-"

He was cut off mid-sentence as Junkrat brushed past him waving his hand dismissively.

"Yeah yeah me and Roadie are the bad guys, everyone else is right, what's new? We were just leavin anyways, c'mon Roadie."

The cafeteria was silent for several moments as the doors slammed shut behind Junkrat and Roadhog. Adjusting his glasses that were slightly askew, Winston turned to Hellhound and nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you for intervening Hellhound."

Hellhound simply shrugged as he watched Zenyatta help Genji to his feet.

"I was simply doing what Pharah instructed me to do."

As Winston gave his thanks to a now composed Pharah, Hellhound went back to his table and resumed eating his food. After everyone had calmed down and returned to their meals, Zenyatta glided over to Hellhound and bowed slightly.

"You have my thanks friend, I was simply trying to peacefully resolve a conflict of ideas but I inadvertently caused trouble for everyone. I apologize for making you step in to de-escalate the situation."

Hellhound looked at Zenyatta blankly and shrugged.

"I was just doing as I was told."

Zenyatta hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head slightly in interest.

"But you still intervened even though you could have chosen not to. I believe that shows you have at least a spark of compassion within you."

The sounds of Genji's mechanical footsteps heralded his approach as the cybernetic ninja stood next to Zenyatta with his arms crossed while he regarded Hellhound warily.

"You assisted in protecting my master so I will thank you this time. But I will be honest and say I have a hard time trusting a former Talon hit-squad member."

Zenyatta sighed softly as he put a calming hand on Genji's metal arm.

"Genji you of all people should realize what Hellhound has done renouncing his past life. He has was given the chance to redeem himself and he has proven that no matter his past he is dedicated to changing himself for the better."

Hellhound shrugged as he finished the last of his food and turned to look blankly at Genji.

"If we are being honest for the sake of transparency, I consider you a possible threat. You are a former heir to a criminal syndicate as well as a Blackwatch assassin. Anyone who knows about your past would be careful around you."

Genji visibly bristled as he stepped forward and glared at Hellhound while keeping his voice low so as to not be overheard.

"How do you know of these things?! I have spent years atoning for my past!"

Hellhound simply stood up and picked up his tray.

"Talon has sources that go back to the original days of Overwatch, Blackwatch included. Talon is always searching for the edge over it's enemies and never relents until it wins."


	14. Chapter 14

Hello all! Woohoo! A chapter update that is both long and posted within a month of the last update! Crazy right? Anyways I had a ton of fun writing this chapter though I will say it gets kinda cheesy. But I like the occasional cheesy feel-good moments. To me it seems lots of movies or books nowadays have weird cliffhanger endings, betrayals simply for the sake of screwing over the main character, lovable characters getting killed, disappearing, or turning evil out of nowhere. It bums me out, I like the occasional story that has a happy ending and the person ends up with their soulmate etc. Also the multiple cans of energy drinks, sleep deprivation, and stress might have helped with writing this all in one sitting. But hey, whatever works.

As always leave a follow, favorite, review or message. Makes me happy knowing people like my attempt at writing. Also the reminders to update help, you guys da real mvp. Im gonna go pass out now.

* * *

"Now remember your footwork Fareeha, not being hit is just as good as hitting back."

Gabriel Reyes watched as the small egyptian girl wearing oversized red boxing gloves, black shirts, and an blue Overwatch t-shirt looked down at her feet as she repositioned them.

"But Uncle Gabriel! When are you going to teach me something cool?! All you do is talk about footwork and stances, I want to know how to do that cool kick you showed me yesterday!"

Fareeha pouted as Reyes kneeled down and began unlacing the boxing gloves from her small hands.

"You are always in a rush aren't you Fareeha? You will have plenty of time to learn as you grow up, enjoy being a kid. When you get older you will wish you spent more time playing instead of learning how to fight from an old man like me. Why don't you go play with some of the other kids that are here? They look like they are having fun with Reinhardt."

Fareeha crossed her arms and pouted as she watched Reyes put away the boxing gloves in a nearby locker and shook her head vigorously, causing her short black hair to fly around wildly.

"But all Reinhardt does is tell stories and give piggyback rides! It's boring! I want to fight with you and mother when I grow up! You and her travel the world saving people like in movies or stories! Being a kid is no fun, grown-ups are always telling you what to do, you have to eat broccoli, You have to hold hands when crossing the street, it is no fun at all! I want to be an adult now so I can do anything I want!"

Reyes laughed as he gently pushed the still pouting young girl towards the doors of the Overwatch headquarters training area.

"Trust me Fareeha, being an adult is not as fun as you think. You are lucky that you have a mother who loves you and lets you hang out with adults while you are here. All the other kids have to stay in the playroom when they come here."

Fareeha's face instantly changed into a bright smile as she held her head up proudly.

"That is because my mother is Captain Amari! She is the coolest person in the world!"

Reyes laughed heartily as he reached down and ruffled Fareeha's silky black hair, making the diminutive girl giggle happily.

"Well having Captain Amari as your mom does give you an edge over the other kids when it comes to base privileges. But remember, this training I am giving you is-"

Fareeha jumped in front of the tall hispanic man and put a finger to her lips.

"Our little secret!"

Reyes kneeled down and poked Fareeha's belly lightly and grinned.

"That's right, your mom doesn't like it when I teach you how to fight. I heard a few days ago you gave some boy at your school a black eye, your mom asked me where an innocent young girl like you learned how throw a right hook."

The two resumed their walk down the empty hallway towards the base library as Fareeha smiled proudly.

"He was being mean to my friend! He was calling her a crybaby after he took her book! The teachers just send him to the principal but he always comes back and does it again! Well I made sure that he won't bully Camilla ever again!"

As the two rounded a corner they nearly ran straight into the tall figure of Ana Amari, Captain and top sniper of Overwatch. Wearing her iconic Overwatch blue overcoat and beret she was always immediately recognized by headquarters personnel and held in high regard by many. Known to be a caring but firm leader, she was idolized by many young recruits for her many heroic deeds. Out in the field she always composed and aloof, but around her friends she was a motherly but slightly strict colleague. One of the rare but proven ways to anger Ana Amari was to put her daughter in danger or do things around her that Ana considered not family friendly. The list of non family friendly offenses included cursing, gossiping about rumours or drama between others, unhealthy things like smoking or drinking hard liquor, and of course letting Fareeha partake in combat drills.

Only a few people in the entire world could withstand her motherly fury, but even they tried to avoid provoking the veteran captain whenever possible. While being known as a sniper, Ana Amari learned unarmed combat techniques from the best and was not afraid to give her targets an impromptu hands-on self-defense course.

The normally cool and composed Reyes froze as his eyes darted from looking down at Fareeha to the suspicious stare of her protective mother.

"Oh hey Ana, what's up? You finish your briefing early?"

The only time Reyes could train Fareeha without being caught was the weekly status briefing that all senior Overwatch members were required to attend. Being part of Blackwatch which was a seperate and secret division, Reyes was not required to attend which gave him the perfect opportunity to train Fareeha in private.

Ana was silent for a moment as she scrutinized the mismatched pair before her. The normally aloof Reyes actually being friendly and the usually hyperactive Fareeha looking everywhere but at her mother.

"What are you two doing? The library is on the other side of the base, you agreed to watch Fareeha and help her study while I am attending the meeting."

Reyes put on his best smile and scratched the black beanie covering his head as he let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright you caught us, Fareeha kept bugging me to see the new jet and I figured I would take her over to the hangar for a quick peek while you were busy with the briefing. My bad, but you know how nobody can say no to her puppy eyes."

While not denying the accusation outright, the half-truth that Reyes had created was believable because the gym was nearby the hangar. Many mechanics and other workers would use the nearby locker room showers to clean themselves up before heading home after a long day of working in a greasy and grimy work zone.

Quickly understanding what Reyes was doing, Fareeha did her best to look guilty.

"I am sorry mother, but nobody would take me to see the new jet. I really wanted to see since I heard people talking about it, and Uncle Gabriel always says I can ask him for help with anything."

Squinting suspiciously at the pair of known rule-breakers, Ana was silent for several moments as Reyes prayed that luck was on his side. Finally, Ana huffed in annoyance and put her hands on her hips while looking at the two with an annoyed expression.

"Gabe, how many times have I told you to stop giving in to Fareeha's selfish requests? I know you two get along very well but if you keep spoiling her she will not learn her lesson. As for you my little bird, you are supposed to be studying not getting Gabe in trouble by convincing him to sneak around with you."

Reyes visibly relaxed as he let out a silent sigh of relief and accepted the motherly lecturing. Meanwhile Fareeha was still trying to act guilty but was having trouble keeping a victorious grin off her face. Ana stepped forward and took Fareeha's free hand, resuming the walk back to the library. If someone took a picture of the trio walking hand in hand, it would not be hard to convince someone unfamiliar with the three that they were a family.

"I am very disappointed in the both of you. Gabe, you are now going to be in charge of new recruit P.T. for the next three days as punishment. I know you love running laps with the greenhorns."

Reyes groaned loudly and slumped gloomily, he was a free spirit and spending his mornings working up a sweat yelling at recruits was not a task that appealed to him in the slightest. Of course Fareeha giggled at his obvious despair until her mother locked her eagle eyes with her.

"As for you young lady, for the next week I will make sure you have extra helpings of broccoli for dinner this week."

Now it was Fareeha's turn to groan loudly in despair as Reyes laughed heartily while Ana tried to keep a warm smile off of her face and failing.

Suddenly the lights went out leaving Fareeha in complete darkness while the two parental figures holding her hands vanished. In a dizzying blur, Fareeha found herself alone in a graveyard that spread out to the horizon in every direction. Cold rain poured from the sky as Fareeha was faced with two large obsidian black tombstones. The only words on the tombstones were two names. in large chiseled out letters one tombstone was inscribed, "Ana Amari" while the other had "Gabriel Reyes".

Staring at the large tombstones in horror, the world went black in a flash of lightning.

Pharah bolted upright as she heaved in panicked breaths, it took her a second to realize where and who she was. Squeezing her eyes shut, Pharah tried to stop the flow of tears only to give up and and hug her knees as silent sobs wracked her body. She felt sick, like the world was closing around her, the room felt like it was spinning out of control as Pharah fell on her side and hugged her pillow. The cold sweat covering her body made her shirt and sheets stick uncomfortably to her skin while she muffled her cries of grief with the pillow.

What felt like an eternity passed as Pharah slowly gained control of her motions. Finally, she stopped crying and brought her breathing under control. Slowly sitting up, Pharah wiped the residual tears from her bloodshot eyes as she looked at the bedside clock.

" _Shit, three in the morning. God why did I have a nightmare? Did I just have a panic attack? I thought the sleep meds Angela gave me were supposed to help me."_

Looking around, Pharah's eyes landed on the small bottle of pills, with two small capsules laying next to a small glass of water.

" _Fuck...I forgot to take them…"_

Cursing her stupidity, Pharah climbed out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Turning on the shower, Pharah stripped off her shirt and underwear and stepped into the freezing water. Relishing the cold shock of water, Pharah simply stood under the showerhead and let the ice water slowly warm up to what felt like just below boiling. After almost a half-hour, Pharah finally turned off the water and dried herself off. Finding a pair of panties, gray cotton shorts, and blue t-shirt, Pharah padded out of her room on bare feet and out into the hall.

The smooth metal floor was cold under Pharah's bare feet as she walked towards the recreation room. Seeing the telltale glow of the TV emanating from the room doorway, relief flooded Pharah's body as she quickened her pace. Just as she was about to enter, Pharah heard voices talking to each other inside.

Flattening herself against the wall, Pharah edged closer to the doorway and peeked around the corner. Inside, Hellhound wearing gray sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt sat in his usual spot with game controller in hand while concentrating on the large screen in front of him. But sitting next to him on the couch was DVa in a bright pink robe and wearing fuzzy bunny slippers.

Emotions raced through Pharah's head as she watched DVa talk quietly to Hellhound. Sadness, anger, despair, but mostly….jealousy.

" _When did she get there?! Has she been doing thus the entire time?! Is she still trying to flirt with him?!"_

While Pharah could hear the occasional word or two from the pair, she could not clearly overhear their conversation. Throwing caution to the wind, Pharah got low to the ground and slowly crept through the doorway. As soon as she entered the room Pharah made an immediate turn and stuck close to the wall as she made her way towards the wall behind the couch. The room was large, and since the only light source was the screen the couch and other large objects cast long dark shadows behind the two gamers.

Reaching the back wall, Pharah assessed the angles of approach in front of her that would give the most concealment. Deciding on a route, Pharah slowly and carefully crawled under tables and around furniture towards her goal. Finally, Pharah reached her destination and slowly eased herself into place. Sitting in a dark leather chair behind a large plastic box, everything below Pharah's eyes was concealed from the two on the couch. Placement wise, Pharah was in line with the screen but off to the side. This allowed her to have an almost full frontal view of the couch while also taking advantage of the fact that those looking at the bright screen would not have eyes adjusted for seeing in the dark. Settling into a comfortable position, Pharah began her spying.

DVa yawned softly as she leaned back into the plush sofa, she mostly was mostly looking at Hellhound but with the game in her peripheral vision. Stretching her legs for a second, she was silent for almost a minute as she appeared to be carefully thinking something over. Eventually, the small korean girl took in a steadying breath and spoke up.

"Hey Houndy, I just want to say again I am really sorry about the whole...sparring match thingy. I didn't want to hurt you at all...well maybe give you a bruise or two...but I had no idea how strong that glove was."

Hellhound simply shrugged uncaringly as he stared at the screen with a look of intense concentration.

"I have repeatedly said that you do not need to apologize in any way. I was the one who proposed the match so I accepted any consequences from it."

The two were silent once more as DVa chewed on a nail while Hellhound continued to game. The sound of an explosion emanated from the screen speakers as the screen briefly flashed red then went silent. With a frown of frustration, Hellhound put down the controller as DVa turned her full attention to the screen.

"Ah you got quick-scoped...aaaand he is tea-bagging you. Gotta love online games right?"

For a moment DVa's usual peppy attitude emerged only to be swallowed moments later by a soft sigh. Hellhound scratched his chin in confusion as he leaned forward to get a better look.

"But that is not how sniper rifles work. Disregarding the fact a man is able to run and fire a heavy bolt-action anti-material rifle without getting knocked over, it is impossible to fire accurately a second after you aim down the scope."

Even Pharah smirked as DVa rolled her eyes and grinned and pointed at the screen.

"Houndy this is a videogame, people play these because they want to escape the real world. If all games were like real life they would be no fun. I mean how would it be fun if you got killed by one bullet from a pistol? Or if you had no hud to show you your health and ammo? Nobody would play it…well is mean there are military simulators but that is different. These kinds of games are made to be able to be played by almost anyone and have fun while doing it."

Hellhound leaned back and crossed his arms unhappily with what could almost be described as a dissatisfied sulk.

"This game said it was the most popular realistic shooter on the market. I have been misled, this is not realistic at all."

DVa grabbed a nearby pillow and muffled her screams of laughter while Hellhound watched in confusion. Eventually DVa calmed down and put the pillow back as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Oh gawd Houndy you are hilarious I swear if you were ever in one of my livestreams people would love you. Plus I mean a hot guy like you playing video games would certainly have fangirls posting all over the web about you. Actually thinking about it now maybe you shouldn't be on a live stream, god knows we don't want a rabid fangirl recognizing you in public and freaking out."

Hellhound was clearly lost as to what the korean pro-gamer was talking about and frowned as he tried to make sense of the various jargon. A moment later he surprisingly spoke up with a question.

"I have a question for you, I am curious as to why you are friendly with me. I tried to hurt you and yet you still talk to me, also you keep saying I am...hot, but I actually have a slightly below normal body temperature."

DVa's face flushed bright red and she jerked her gaze away from Hellhound and to screen.

"Well I um...god this is unexpected...let's see...well first off aren't we friends already? I mean when you first got here you were a little scary and weird. But now you are just kinda…serious and weird? I mean all that Talon stuff in your head just makes me feel bad for you ya know? I mean it's not like you wanted to hurt me. Also with you I know you are really honest...I mean really awkward kinda honest...like right now...but I don't have to worry about you lying to my face about what you think or how you feel. It's nice especially nowadays with how paranoid everyone is. Don't even get me started on reporters and paparazzi ugh!"

Hellhound curiously scrutinized the blushing DVa as he processed the new information.

"I think I understand your reasoning, but I still do not understand why you call me..hot?"

Groaning in embarrassment, DVa picked at a loose thread on her robe nervously.

"Crap...I mean I probably should have realized that you would ask. I keep forgetting you are always in soldier mode. Ok...how do I do this?"

Hellhound waited patiently as DVa got her thoughts in order and finally turned to face him. Her face was still a shade of light red but she seemed more composed than before.

"Okay Houndy, when I say...when people say hot, it means physically attractive. I am saying you are physically attractive to me."

As soon as the last word left her mouth DVa flopped facefirst onto the couch and moaned in despair and embarrassment.

"God I wanna die, that is like the most awkward thing I ever said in my life."

When Hellhound did not immediately respond, DVa slowly sat up curiously. She was met with a blank stare as Hellhound nodded in understanding.

"Affirmative, thank you for the clarification."

DVa's jaw dropped open as Hellhound picked up his controller and began pressing buttons experimentally. Meanwhile Pharah mentally cheered as she watched DVa try to comprehend what just happened.

" _Ha! Too bad Hana! He only likes me!"_

DVa shook herself out of her dumbfounded state and poked Hellhound's arm.

"Umm hello? Houndy when a girl says she thinks you are attractive you need to give a reply. You can't just say okay and act like nothing happened! That took a ton of courage for me to say!"

Putting the controller back down, Hellhound turned back to face the bewildered young girl with puzzled look.

"What do you mean? I gave a response, I said I understood what you were saying. Oh wait, I should say thank you correct? Thank you for the compliment."

DVa buried her face in her hands and let out a sad moan.

"Oh my gawd, I got rejected. I mean I am not the cutest girl ever but I thought I would at least get some kind of reaction other than...whatever you just did."

Quickly lifting her head up, DVa sat up straight with an annoyed expression.

"Okay Houndy, do you find me attractive? That is usually what you should say in this kinda situation, if a girl or guy says they think you are attractive it is common courtesy to tell them if you think they are attractive or not. So what is it? Am I too young? My boobs aren't big enough? Too short?!"

Hellhound had a strange expression on his face as he finally understood what DVa had been doing when she was flirting and complimenting him. From her hiding spot, Pharah tensed up worriedly as she started imagining worst case scenarios of what Hellhound would do now knowing that attractive girls were interested in him.

As DVa continued to rant about what feature she had that was unattractive, Hellhound slowly regained his composure and interrupted DVa who now had moved on to venting about past failed relationships.

"DVa, I never said I did not find you attractive."

Stopping mid-rant, DVa spluttered in confusion and embarrassment.

"Waiwaiwaiwait! Y-you have like no interest in me! If you are trying to be nice you don't hafta pity me!"

Hellhound shook his head as he stared at the now completely flustered and frazzled gamer next to him.

"I think you do not realize what I am trying to say. Let me explain. Part of the Talon conditioning program is to remove the operative's sex drive. Physical attraction does not have any use for a soldier in battle, it can create distractions and lead to poor decision making. Thinking about it now, logically you have many physical qualities that many would find attractive. Maybe eventually when the Talon conditioning is completely gone I will find you physically attractive. But right now I just see you, agent DVa who is highly skilled in her mecha and in games, not a woman who arouses me."

DVa and Pharah were both at a loss for words but for very different reasons. For DVa it was obvious she was trying to form a reply to the revelation laid before her. With Pharah, she was astounded that Hellhound had told a huge lie straight to DVa's face. For Pharah knew that Hellhound found her attractive.

It took DVa a full minute to get her thoughts in order while massaging her temples to calm herself. She finally looked up with a slightly confused smile.

"Awww! That was..almost sorta sweet...I think? So you are saying that you don't feel anything when you look at me? Not because you think I am ugly but because your brain simply has that part under lockdown?"

Hellhound nodded in agreement as he turned away and picked up the controller once more.

"Correct, I did not mean to cause you any distress. But I think it would be wise to find someone who is capable of returning your affection."

Unseen to Hellhound, a mischievous smile slowly spread across DVa's face that made Pharah's stomach fill with dread.

"So you don't see me as attractive, and you don't feel aaany physical attraction?"

Before Hellhound could reply he was tackled and fell on his back on the couch with DVa kneeling over him.

"What are you doing? Is this a combat exercise?"

DVa giggled impishly and shook her head.

"Nope! Just testing something out."

Settling her hips on Hellhound's chest, DVA slid her robe off of her shoulders to reveal the smooth milky skin underneath.

"Feel anything now?"

Hellhound frowned slightly and shook his head.

"No, is this an actual medical health check?"

DVa smiled wolfishly and laid her chest against his.

"Nope! How about this?"

Before Hellhound could react, DVa had darted in and gently kissed side of Hellhound's chin. It took all of the self control Pharah had to stop herself from rushing over and giving DVa a few good punches.

" _That horny little sl-...what the hell is she doing to him! ? I swear to god if Erik does not put a stop to this I will!"_

Quickly sitting back up, DVa stared down at the man trapped beneath her.

"Feel anything that time?"

Hellhound sighed in annoyance and gave DVa a stern look.

"Since this is not an approved medical check I am requesting you get off of me. I am sure this qualifies as workplace sexual harassment as described by the standards set by the Overwatch rules and guidelines form in the application."

At first DVa began to pout and crossed her arms, but looking down at the unamused man beneath her the realization of what she was doing quickly dawned on her. Scrambling off of Hellhound like she had been burned, DVa flattened herself against the arm at the far end of the couch.

"Oh god what am I doing?! I am so sorry Houndy! God what the hell is wrong with me?! Am I that desperate?! Houndy please I didn't...I mean I did but I was not...please I am so sorry Houndy! If you were doing that stuff to me people would call you a rapist! ImsorryIgottago!"

DVa fell off the couch in her haste to run away but was stopped by Hellhound's hand grabbing her arm.

"Calm down DVa, I did not mean to frighten you. I was simply stating what I read when Winston was having me fill out registration forms. I appreciate that you realized what your actions could be construed as and stopped from going any further."

DVa was frozen in fear but quickly fell to the ground while quietly crying and sniffling in shame.

"Oh Houndy! You are so sweet I don't deserve to be friends with you after that! Just...it's been more than a year! A girl has needs and when you got here. You are just so weirdly cute and you are such a good guy and even with your brainwashing you try not to oh god I'm so sorryyy!"

DVa continued to babble as she cried and hugged herself while Hellhound watched awkwardly. Pharah could not help but feel a little bit sorry for the girl. She remembered the struggles of being young and full of life and craving the touch of another and dry spells were reminders of how painfully lonely one can get.

After a few minutes DVa looked up at Hellhound with sad teary eyes.

"God look at me...I am such a mess tonight...I'm sorry Houndy...I know you don't know what to do right now...though most people don't know what to do with a crying girl...haha…"

Hellhound nodded awkwardly and looked around for something that might help.

"Yes...At first I thought I should leave...but one of the rules in the handbook is to never leave behind a teammate in distress."

Pharah almost laughed out loud at Hellhound's interpretation of the Overwatch rules. Meanwhile DVa managed to smile a little as she wiped the snot from her nose on the arm of her robe.

"Houndy you are so weird, but weird in a good way."

Pushing herself to her feet, DVa ran a hand through her now thoroughly messy hair in a futile attempt to appear more composed. Looking down at her feet awkwardly, DVa fiddled with the hem of her robe.

"Hey Houndy, I know this is gonna be weird to you. But could you give me a hug? If you don't want to I totally understand though…"

Hellhound paused for a brief moment before standing up and walking over to the disheveled DVa. Taking a moment to plan what to do, Hellhound slowly gave DVa a gentle hug. The positioning was a little awkward due to the height difference but DVa seemed content nonetheless as gave the tall soldier a tight hug in return.

In the shadows, Pharah felt another spike of jealousy but pushed it away as she watched DVa hold back tears while Hellhound hugged her.

" _A hug is fine...She knew what she did wrong and won't do it again...I hope...she is right though, Erik is such a sweet guy in his own way."_

A few moments later DVa released her grip on Hellhound and stepped back.

"Thanks Houndy, you are a really good guy. Way better than lots of the guys I have met before. I know that if you ever find a girl she will be really lucky to have you, that is if that girl isn't me. Don't worry I'm just joking, I think I will try to find a guy that is just as nice as you though. Goodnight Houndy."

Quickly walking away, DVa gave Hellhound a small wave before going out the door and disappearing out of sight. Hellhound stood silently and scratched his ear in confusion as he looked at the dark doorway. A few seconds later, he walked over to the doorway and looked out into the hallway. Pharah watched Hellhound curiously as he quietly closed the recreation room door and sat back down on the couch. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Hellhounds icy blue eyes suddenly locked directly with Pharah's.

"You can come out now, the coast is clear."

Pharah let out a small yelp as she fell out of her chair in surprise. Quickly standing up and trying to keep the guilty look off her face, Pharah meekly went and sat next to Hellhound. The pair was silent as Hellhound waited patiently and Pharah awkwardly tried to figure out what to say.

"How long did you know I was here?"

Pharah looked at Hellhound in fear of anger or disapproval, but was instead met with curious eyes.

"When I stopped playing the game I saw a chair had moved slightly. Then I noticed someone sitting behind the box observing me. I did not know it was you though."

Pharah nodded silently as Hellhound stared down at his lap in what looked like remorse.

"I regret having to lie to DVa, Overwatch is built on trust and lying does not facilitate unit cohesion. But compared to admitting my attraction to you it was the lesser of two evils."

Pharah nodded solemnly and patted Hellhound's leg.

"I understand Erik, I know it must have been a hard decision. But I must ask….did you feel any physical attraction to her? Truthfully?"

Bracing herself for the worst, Pharah instinctively held her breath as Hellhound turned to look her in the eyes.

"Truthfully, I did not feel any physical attraction to her. I now understand the reasoning behind her actions but I did not have a physical reaction to her attempts at seduction."

Pharah felt like a weight was lifted off her chest as she let out a sigh of happy relief. She leaned against Hellhound and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling when she felt him tense up.

"Sooo….you only feel attracted to me huh?"

Pharah could not help but giggle happily as she saw Hellhound's ears turn bright red as he gave a stiff nod.

"Yes...only to you"

Pharah felt heart begin to race as a warm feeling spread through her body. She was happy. Extremely happy. What had started out with a terrifying nightmare had now become one of the most wonderful turn of events in her life. It felt like electricity was running through her veins and her heart was going to burst from joy. Sitting up, Pharah took Hellhound's hands in hers.

"Erik can you please look at me?"

She had felt him flinch when she held his hands but the nervous expression on his face only made her smile wider.

"I know this is out of nowhere. But I just wanted to say I like you...a lot. I know this thing between us is crazy. We are both soldiers so we both know that one of us might not come back from a mission. But with you...I feel happy. More happy than I have with anyone in a long time. But before this goes on any longer I want to let you make the decision about us on your own. Even if I am happy it has no meaning if you are not."

Pharah did not know what she was doing, it was her brain had no control over her body. Mentally she knew that admitting these feelings was not a good idea, that it might cause more harm than good in the future. But it seemed that she could not contain her emotions any longer and this was the perfect opportunity to talk to Erik from her heart.

Hellhound gripped Pharah's hands tightly as his mouth moved silently while he tried to create a response. Eventually he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stared unblinkingly back into Pharah's eyes.

"I do not know much about things not related to the battlefield. Any memories I have before waking up in the cell here are just flashes. Pictures of faces, sounds, words, feelings. But since waking up here I can remember everything perfectly. Meeting you, it felt like I instinctively knew you were a soldier. In the field you are very proficient in weapons and tactics. But off the battlefield...you make me feel things I do not know. I get nervous around you, when I talk to you I find I can sleep easier, you make me feel….complacent? I do not know exactly how to describe it. When I am alone I can feel Talon in my head. I look for structural weak points, every time I enter a room I plan escape routes and lines of sight, I have days when I actively plan out and imagine neutralizing those I meet. But with you, that all stops. It is quiet in my head. I guess what I am trying to say is. It may not be the logical decision...but I hope to be with you as long as possible."

And for the first time, Hellhound smiled. It was not a memorable toothy grin or dazzling display. Just a simple small and nervous but happy smile.

Pharah felt her heart skip a beat when Hellhound smiled. She knew immediately that his small awkward smile would be burned into her brain forever. But what came next surprised even Pharah.

One moment she was smiling happily and about to tell Hellhound how happy she was. The next, she felt her lips against his, his icy blue eyes wide in surprise and filling her view. The feeling of his chapped and slightly cold lips in contrast to what felt like liquid fire running through her body. His hands resting lightly on her waist while hers were wrapped around his wide back. The faint scent of soap filling her nose as she breathed in sharply.

Time seemed to stop as Pharah's mind encountered an error and rebooted with a single thought echoing through her head.

" _I think I'm in love."_


	15. Chapter 15

Hello all! Yes this chapter is pretty late. I must have rewritten this at least 6 times. Nothing I wrote seemed to flow well and I was constantly doubting the quality of my writing. I kept looking back at the positive comments and eventually decided to stop delaying the chapter and post. In my opinion the transition I wrote is not my best work. But since there are at least a few of you enjoying my story I didnt want to put it off any longer. If you have any (hopefully kind) critiques/suggestions feel free to let me know. Or if you simply want to just post a nice review I always love reading those. Sorry for the long wait, I am trying to put up the next chapter relatively soon.

* * *

It had been several days since Pharah's first kiss with Erik, and the normally composed egyptian woman was still having trouble keeping a happy smile off her face. Of course Mercy had noticed the change in Pharah's mood almost immediately but so far had been unsuccessful in finding out why. Pharah felt a little bad for keeping her best friend in the dark, but she was still worried about what would happen if she revealed the romantic development between herself and Hellhound.

Sitting on her bed, Pharah hummed happily as she browsed an online store on her tablet. Normally Pharah was not one to waste money on clothes she would not consider wearing. But after reading several articles and various blogs about starting a relationship with someone Pharah decided a few nice looking clothes wouldn't hurt. The only problem was that Pharah was not confident at all in her sense of style and fashion, seeing as how most of her life was spent in the military. So now Pharah was stuck. She had a variety of items picked out but she was not sure whether the clothes would look good on her. This problem was only made worse since asking for fashion advice from any of the women on base would undoubtedly spark curiosity in the sudden lifestyle change.

Sighing softly, Pharah put the tablet down on the small nightstand next to her bed and stretched her legs as she wracked her head about what to do. Her thoughts were interrupted by the buzz of her smartphone that was facedown on a her desk. Pushing herself up from her bed, Pharah walked over and picked up her phone. "Hello?" There was a soft yawn on the other end and Pharah knew immediately who it was. "Pardon me Fareeha, I think I might be spending too much time in the lab. Would you be able to come to my office? I have something I want to talk about with you."

"Of course Angela, I can be there in five minutes." Ending the call, Pharah threw on a pair of jeans and grey shirt then made her way to Mercy's office. Finding a somewhat disheveled Mercy gulping down a thermos of coffee at her desk, Pharah pulled up a chair. "So what did you want to talk about Angela? Is this is another interrogation about myself and Hellhound? I swear you are very persistent sometimes." Pharah arched an eyebrow curiously as Mercy waved a hand dismissively as she put away her now empty thermos. "No Fareeha, though this is about Hellhound. I contacted an old colleague of mine who specializes in psychological disorders and asked for his help." As Mercy pulled out a thick paper notebook, Pharah crossed her arms and frowned.

"Can this colleague of yours be trusted?" Mercy gave Pharah a somewhat indignant look as she flipped through the many pages of her notebook. "Of course, I have known him since college and he spent a brief time working for the old Overwatch. I trust him completely." Pharah relaxed slightly as she leaned back in her chair. "If you trust him that is good enough for me. Did he have any useful suggestions about Hellhound's….condition?"

Mercy nodded happily as she skimmed through her notes. "He did, though the only other case similar to this would be Amélie Lacroix also known as Widowmaker. I assume you have read the file we have on her?" Pharah took a moment to remember the details of the file before responding. "Yes, though to be honest it did not have much useful information. Only her previous life as Amelie, incidents involving her, and a few half baked theories."

Mercy leaned back in her chair and yawned as she nodded. "I agree, but the upside to having Hellhound is now we can formulate a possible cure for her brainwashing should we ever capture her. But back to the topic of Hellhound. After talking with my colleague all night we came to an agreement about a possible way to combat Hellhound's programming. Essentially, he needs to experience things that most of us would consider normal. If you think about it, since Hellhound has joined us he has had very few experiences that would fall into the required category. Hana has inadvertently helped by introducing him to her video games, but overall Hellhound has only spent time with the rest of us in combat. He will not get better when he is only spending his time living on this base and going on missions. He needs to experience what it is like to live amongst regular civilians."

Pharah drummed her fingers on her leg as she frowned in thought. "So he needs to do things like...go shopping or go out to eat at a restaurant?" Mercy grinned as she winked at Pharah. "Well it would give you a good excuse to go on a proper date with him." Pharah nearly choked in surprise as she gave Mercy an embarrassed glare. "Angela! I am not going to use this as an excuse to...to...to go on a date! We barely know what would set him off and it would be much worse if there was an incident out in public!"

Mercy rolled her eyes as she flipped through her notebook once more. "Calm down Fareeha, I am just teasing you. Ever since a few days ago you have been in a very good mood so I figured something happened with you and Hellhound like a romantic kiss or something." A dark blush immediately colored Pharah's cheeks as she tried to make up an excuse. "A kiss?! No nothing like that happened! We just were talking and...and it was a nice talk!" As soon as Pharah blurted out her attempted lie Mercy smiled like the cheshire cat, making Pharah sigh in defeat as she realized Mercy had tricked her into revealing the truth. "Angela you cannot tell anyone! It just sort of happened!"

Mercy let out a light laugh as she rolled her chair over to Pharah and patted her leg. "Of course Fareeha. Now….who initiated it?" Pharah put her head in her hands and groaned, knowing that Mercy would not let her leave until she told her everything. "...I did...but it was not like I planned it! We were just talking about how things were between us and he...smiled." Mercy's eyes widened in surprise but her surprise quickly turned to glee. "Oh that is wonderful Fareeha! That is a big step forward towards his recovery! You two suit each other very well, if things keep on going at this rate I might have to start looking for marriage dresses." Pharah somehow blushed even more as she stammered incoherently while Mercy's gentle laugh filled the room.

The two were interrupted by the sound of Winston's deep voice echoing over the base speakers. "All agents please report to the briefing room in fifteen minutes. I repeat, all agents to the briefing room in fifteen minutes." As the speakers turned off the two friends looked at each other knowingly. "I have a feeling a new mission is being planned. I truly am happy for you Fareeha, it has been a long time since I have seen you smile like that." Mercy grinned and rolled back to her desk as Pharah got up left Mercy's office with a small wave.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone was packed into the briefing room as Winston activated the holographic projector and cleared his throat. "As you all know our interactions with Talon have been few and far in between. The majority of these engagements have been our agents on the defensive against Talon's. But today Athena has managed to decrypt a classified communication that is directly from Talon itself. With this information we can finally go on the offensive and strike directly at Talon itself." The room was immediately filled with a variety of questions and exclamations as Winston held up his massive furry hands placatingly. "Please hold your questions till after the briefing."

The air in front of Winston was suddenly filled with several large holographic screens with a variety of maps and several news articles in korean. "As most of you may know, South Korea is planning to celebrate the one year anniversary of the defeat of the giant omnic mech that had been a constant threat over the past years. Of course Agent Song is arguably the most well known individual of the South Korean Army for both her skills in battle and appeal to the younger generation who watch her livestreams." Raising her chin proudly, DVa nodded aggressively as Tracer and Reinhardt patted her on the back.

Winston gave a polite nod of recognition towards DVa as a new set of images appeared in front of everyone. "This event will factor into our operation as a way to scout the Talon facility without being noticed. According to the decrypted files, Talon has set up a data collection facility on the coast where the damage from the omnic mech is the most extensive. The facility is masquerading as a privately owned telecom facility that is aiding the reconstruction efforts along the coast. In reality, the facility has been covertly intercepting military data transmissions along with reports from the science teams studying the wreck of the omnic just off the coast." The images disappeared to be replaced with two rotating three dimensional maps of Seoul and the South Korean Coast.

Adjusting his glasses, Winston began typing into his tablet as several glowing red dots appeared on the maps. "This operation will have two parts. The first will involve recruiting an asset that will be in Seoul for the festivities. He is somewhat of a celebrity, normally we would have a difficult time contacting him discreetly but the celebration allows us to use Agent Song's celebrity status to contact him without raising suspicion. Next we will-" Winston was cut off by an excited squeal as DVa jumped up out of her chair with an expression akin to a child on christmas morning. "OHMYGODAREYOUTALKINGABOUTLUCIO?!"

Winston sighed heavily and took off his glasses to run the bridge of his nose as DVa danced around excitedly. "Yes, our contact is Lúcio Correia dos Santos, the internationally famous DJ. May I please continue with the briefing agent Song?" Giggling happily, DVa sat back down in her seat practically vibrating in excitement as Winston resumed the briefing.

"As I was saying, securing the assistance of Lucio is vital for the success of our mission. Not only does he have sources of information that we cannot access, he also is quite adept in aiding others on the battlefield. Once we have made the adequate preparations, a team will infiltrate the Talon facility. The main objective is to steal as much Talon data as possible. If done correctly, this will allow us to locate more Talon operations. The second objective is the destruction of all the data systems inside the facility. Doing this will put a big dent in Talon's global operations as well as covering our tracks."

Shutting down the projector, Winston tucked his tablet under his arm and began answering the veritable storm of questions. In the back, Pharah sat in a chair next to Hellhound pondering what her role might be in the upcoming mission. She was roused from her musings as DVa nearly tackled Hellhound in excitement. "HOUNDY! O.M.G this is like the best mission ever! Lucio is sooo cool! I only met him a few times but he is super funny and cute and makes amazing music and-" DVa's energetic rambling was interrupted as Hellhound crossed his arms and frowned pensively. "While I am sure he is a pleasant individual, I cannot help but doubt his combat ability seeing as he spends most of his time making music."

DVa huffed indignantly as she bounced from one leg to another. "Oh c'mon Houndy seriously!? Not everyone is a super soldier like you ya know? You gotta keep like an open mind ok? I bet once you meet him you two are gonna get along great!" The pale soldier shrugged as he watched the crowd slowly trickle out of the briefing room. "If you say so, but I will reserve my judgement until I meet him." Pharah could not help but agree with Hellhound, she had heard of Lucio in passing. Mostly from various news broadcasts covering his many concerts and fundraisers benefiting various charities.

After the briefing Pharah spent the rest of the day in the armory cleaning her armor and checking for anything that might need maintenance. She talked with Torbjorn for a little and it seemed that Hellhound and her were not the only ones fully convinced of how useful Lucio would be in battle. In contrast it seemed Tracer, Mercy, and Mei were very excited to work with Lucio. All of them praising his charity work and assuring that he would not be a detriment to the team.

The next few days were a blur of activity for Pharah. Most of her time was used training and studying the various details of the mission along with preparing any gear and equipment she might need. She spoke with Hellhound several times but did not have any opportunities to spend any alone time with him.

The day of their departure, Pharah woke up before sunrise and spent the next few hours cramming in some last minute training at the shooting range. Eventually the sun rose up from the horizon and Pharah left the shooting range to have breakfast. The normal breakfast crowd was not in sight, everyone occupied with their own pre-mission rituals and preparations.

It was decided that a small contingent of agents would stay behind at the Gibraltar base in case some other emergency arose. Both Junkers were staying behind at the Gibraltar base due to the still active bounties on their heads along with their lack of subtlety. Symmetra was staying behind as well since her ties to the Vishkar corporation would be at odds with Lucio's ideals since he had often organized large protests against the corporation's practices. Mei and Zarya elected to stay behind for base security and Torbjorn was staying behind to act as the temporary base commander.

What was unexpected were the roles Hellhound and Pharah had been assigned. Since both were relatively unknown to Talon, the pair was assigned to act as hired security guards for DVa. This would allow the two to be with DVa without raising any suspicion. The rest of the agents were split into two groups. The reconnaissance group would scour the area around the facility and prepare a plan of attack. The infiltration group would work alongside Dva, Pharah, and Hellhound in Seoul, gathering any information from a variety of sources. Winston, Reinhardt, Hanzo and Mcree made up the recon group while Genji, Zenyatta, Tracer, and Mercy made up the infiltration team.

Standing in the base garage Mercy rubbed her forehead in exasperation as Pharah watched her argue with Hellhound in amusement. "For the last time Hellhound, you are not allowed to bring any weapons on the plane with you. Even if we are flying in Hana's private jet it is still an airport. If you get caught with any weapons on you going through customs it will put this whole mission in jeopardy! Now hand over the gun." Holding out her hand expectantly with a stern glare, Mercy waited as Hellhound let out a frustrated grunt. Reaching inside his jacket, Hellhound pulled out a small concealed blaster and put it in Mercy's open hand. "And the knife as well." Mercy stared down Hellhound as he grumbled and pulled out a small knife from the hollowed out sole of his shoe. Giving the knife to Mercy, Hellhound crossed his arms uncomfortably. "I feel very vulnerable without a weapon to defend myself, what if we are ambushed at the airport? Or if we are attacked on our way to the hotel? There should be at-" He was interrupted as Tracer walked over and shoved a black suitcase into his arms. "C'mon Hound stop being such a ninny. Nobody is going to attack us in the middle of the city. Now get your arse moving."

Sighing in defeat, Hellhound trudged over to the waiting van and began helping Reinhardt load luggage. Snorting in amusement, Tracer stood next to Mercy and Pharah as they watched Hellhound nearly get knocked over by an enthusiastic Reinhardt. "Doc are you sure he is alright to go? I mean I know he has the shock collar on...but he could still do a lotta damage if not caught in time." Mercy smiled and patted Tracer's shoulder as Pharah silently huffed indignantly. "I assure you he will be fine Lena. Fareeha will keep an eye on him. As for you, no running off at night to go sightseeing alright?" Laughing lightly, Tracer put on a pair of amber aviator sunglasses and adjusted her pastel blue shirt. "Sure sure Angela, but c'mon we have to go out on the town at least one time yeah?" Peeking over at Pharah, Tracer flashed her a bright smile. "We could have a girls night out Pharah. Just you, me, Angela, and Hana out having a blast. Whatcha say?" Shrugging non-committally, Pharah straightened the sleeve of her suit jacket. "Maybe...if the mission parameters allow it." Putting on a fake pout, Tracer dusted off her jeans and tightened the laces on her sneakers. "Oh you sound like Morrison back in the day, all work no play. The offer is always open if you decide you wanna come with."

The trio were broken out of their conversation by the beeping of the van horn while Mcree adjusted his signature cowboy hat. "Cmon yall! Time to get the show on the road!"

After everyone piled into the van, it was a relatively short ride to a nearby airport. As they were extracting their luggage from the back of the van, Pharah made sure to keep one eye on Hellhound at all times. To any normal passerby, Hellhound was the spitting image of a stereotypical bodyguard. The combination of a somewhat low quality suit and tie, reflective black sunglasses, military style buzz cut, and imposing facial scar made the busy airport crowd part around him like water. Meanwhile DVa was the epitome of a trendy young celebrity. Custom made backpack, stylish pink and white clothes, personal gaming jacket covered in brand sponsorships, and DVa's signature bunny logo made her stick out like a flamingo in the arctic. Pharah was dressed in practically the same outfit as Hellhound while Mercy was dressed in her classy business casual attire and heels.

After dropping off their luggage, the group made their way through the airport. Genji and Zenyatta had entered through a side entrance that was regularly used by VIP travellers. Fortunately the airport was very accepting of omnics and with Zenyatta being from a famous monastery it was easy for the metallic pair to secure special accommodations. Walking through the busy airport, Pharah nervously kept glancing over at Hellhound. To the untrained eye, Hellhound appeared to be any other normal bodyguard. But Pharah could see the small things that clearly showed Hellhound was not at ease. Any loud noise made him tense up and she could see him slightly reaching for a non-existent weapon. Several times she was worried that Hellhound was going to assault a janitor pushing a cart of weapons disguised as cleaning supplies.

Thankfully, the group made it to DVa's jet without incident. The sleek aircraft was painted a bright pink and had room for almost a dozen passengers. As everyone was climbing the stairs to board the jet, Hellhound began walking around and under the plane scrutinizing every inch. Watching from a small window, DVa scrunched up her face in confusion as Pharah simply rolled her eyes. "What is Houndy doin? This jet is super new, it's not going to fall apart or anything." A few moments later the sound of door hissed shut as Hellhound climbed into the cabin and took a seat. "The plane is secure and is clear of any explosive devices." Mercy and Tracer simply giggled and DVa smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Really Houndy? You were checking for bombs? Why the hell would someone wanna even blow up this plane in the first place? Those kinds of things never happen anymore."

Nervously scratching his scar, Hellhound tensed up as the jet began taxiing down the runway. "Do not underestimate the lengths Talon will go to. Many have done so in the past and were killed when they believed they were safest. The assassination of Gérard Lacroix is just one example." A second later Tracer was in front of Hellhound with nothing but fury in her eyes. "You take that back right now! You know nothing about what happened! Neither Gérard or Amelie deserved what happened to them!" Meeting Tracer's furious stare with a cold emotionless one of his own, Hellhound pointed out towards a window of the plane as it took off into the air. "I am stating facts, it does not matter how or why it happened. He is dead and his wife has been turned into a killer like me. There is no line that Talon will not cross to achieve their goals, I am simply informing DVa of what can happen. The sooner you accept these facts the sooner you will not make irrational decisions like Gérard Lacroix did."

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the cabin as Tracer slapped Hellhound "You heartless bastard!" Quickly getting up from her seat, Mercy pulled back Tracer and shook her head sadly while Tracer held back tears. Pharah sat in stunned silence, alternating between looking at the red handprint on Hellhound's cheek and the fearful look on DVa's face. "Hellhound, I understand your reasoning but that was uncalled for. Gérard was a dear friend of ours and our hearts still ache from what happened that day. You are still learning, I know that. But think about how others will react to what you say before you speak." Mercy hugged a sniffling Tracer while speaking to Hellhound like a mother gently scolding a child.

Bowing his head slightly, Hellhound nodded. "I apologize. I was simply trying to inform everyone of how dangerous Talon is. I admit I got caught up in the heat of the moment when Tracer confronted me. I did not intend to offend or insult anyone, I just become frustrated when others question my knowledge of Talon operations."

The cabin was silent for awhile save for the occasional sniffle from Tracer. Mercy continued to silently comfort Tracer as DVa awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her shirt while avoiding Hellhound's gaze. Pharah slumped back into her seat and observed Hellhound as he stared out a window watching the clouds float by. " _I thought he was better...I know it was foolish to think so but after that night...I thought he was at least more empathetic...I guess I am the only exception. He still has a long way to go."_

Eventually Hellhound turned away from the window and looked over at Tracer. "I would like to apologize. I now realize how...upsetting my words were. I do not know much of what grief feels like. I should have been more cognizant of your past with the old Overwatch. I do not expect you to apologize to me, I am simply trying to convey my regret for upsetting you. Sorry." Turning back to stare out the window, Hellhound did not see Tracer wipe the tears from her eyes and stare at the back of his head. Mercy whispered something to the upset speedster and nodded her head towards Hellhound expectantly. Tracer stared for a few moments longer but finally shook her head and leaned back in her seat. Mercy's head drooped sadly as she pulled out her tablet and began typing away.

DVa had put on large headphones with fluffy bunny ears but had been sneaking quickly glanced at both Tracer and Hellhound. She fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly wanting to say something but not brave enough to do so. Pharah simply watched everyone as she drummed her fingers against her leg. She watched as Tracer pulled out a small necklace she was wearing beneath her shirt and fiddled with the diminutive softly glowing blue pendant. Leaning back, Pharah closed her eyes and listened to the faint thrum of the jet engines. Her thoughts wandering to what awaits them in Seoul.


	16. Chapter 16

Upon arriving at Seoul, the group made their way through customs and out through the airport. Luckily the fake identification and passport Winston had created for Hellhound did not arouse any suspicion and allowed him to enter Korea without incident. As the group walked briskly through the airport they were followed by a small group of paparazzi trying to get the next big scoop on DVa and what she would be doing in the upcoming festivities. Thankfully the imposing presences of Pharah and Hellhound kept the normally aggressive photographers and reporters at bay as they all waited for their transportation out in the massive underground garage.

As a large hover bus with reflective windows pulled up to the group, a chorus of excited screams echoed through the garage. Pharah watched as Hellhound quickly turned around to face whoever was about to attack them, only to be faced with a group of starstruck middle schoolers. As the pack of pre-teens descended upon them, Pharah quickly moved next to Hellhound and discreetly signaled for him to calm down. The students crowded around Hellhound and Pharah, thrusting various items towards DVa for autographs and talking in excited tones. As Hellhound and Pharah gently held back the ecstatic fans, DVa came forward and began signing autographs as well as taking several selfies with her adoring fans.

After her fans had been placated, DVa waved goodbye and boarded the bus with Mercy, Tracer, Pharah, and Hellhound. As the bus smoothly accelerated, DVa flopped onto a large cushioned seat and smiled happily. "I forgot how cool it is to be a celebrity. Kids are so cute when they want autographs, creepy old guys though…" She made a sound of disgust as Mercy laughed gently. "It is good to see that your stardom has not gone to your head Hana. Though I would say you do enjoy being the center of attention." Tracer nodded in agreement as DVa playfully stuck her tongue out at the blonde doctor. "I can't help it if everyone loves me!"

Sunlight filled the bus as the driver steered the vehicle out of the garage and into the bustling streets. Staring out the windows in curiosity, one could almost imagine Hellhound as a child on his first field trip. As the bus merged into the bustling highway, Tracer snapped her fingers to get everyone's attention. "Alright you lot, here is the plan. Lucio is hosting a charity concert tomorrow night in Seoul, no doubt it will be absolutely packed. After the show we will meet up backstage and we can find out what Lucio knows." Everyone nodded in understanding as the bus merged onto the highway.

The ride was silent and uneventful, the argument on the plane still fresh in everyone's minds. As the bus pulled up to a massive skyscraper, a horde of paparazzi and reporters swarmed the vehicle. Letting out a huff of annoyance, DVa stood up and adjusted her jacket. "Fuck, they must have gotten tipped off from the ones at the airport." Standing up and straightening her skirt, Mercy wagged a finger at DVa. "Now Hana watch your language. You are a role model for many." Making a sour expression, DVa pulled on her backpack. "Oh c'mon Mercy! I am an adult! Am I not allowed to curse in private?! Geez you sound like my mom!" Lena and Pharah giggled while Mercy smiled gently and patted DVa's back. "Then your mother must be very wise."

After everyone had gathered their things, Pharah took a steadying breath then opened the bus door. The sound of camera shutters and flashes was almost deafening as the swarm pressed in to get the best shot. Spearheading the advance to the hotel lobby, Pharah brusquely pushed through the sea of people. Following close behind, DVa, Mercy, and Tracer did their best to follow the path Pharah had created without getting bogged down by reporters. Bringing up the rear, Hellhound dutifully made sure to keep the group moving and hold back any interlopers. Unfortunately, the paparazzi this time were much more aggressive and bold. Emboldened by their numerical superiority, the photohounds quickly began to try to get past Pharah and Hellhound.

" _Almost there...just a little more…"_ Pharah could see the hotel doors being held open by security guards. Just as she was in arm's reach of the doors, Pharah heard a scream behind her. Whirling around and preparing to rescue whoever had been mobbed, she stopped short when she realized a paparazzo was the source of the scream. The girl wore a somewhat dirty shirt and sweatpants with a large camera hanging from her neck. As the crowd pulled back, it revealed Hellhound towering over the girl. One of his calloused hands gripping the girl's clearly broken wrist. As the girl began screaming in Korean, Pharah rushed forward and put herself between Hellhound and the shocked onlookers.

"Hellhound what are you doing?! Let her go!" The second Pharah finished speaking, Hellhound obediently released his iron grip on the girl's arm. As the wounded photographer disappeared into the crowd, Pharah shoved the group into the hotel lobby and slammed the doors behind her. The lobby was eerily silent, having been cleared out ahead of time in preparation for DVa's arrival. A single clerk sat behind the lobby counter, his smile faltering after hearing the screams from outside. Thankfully, Mercy kept the group moving and began the process of checking in and having luggage transferred. While the girls were busy, Pharah pulled Hellhound aside and gave him a suspicious look. "What was that all about?"

The confused soldier gave Pharah a puzzled look. "The woman had repeatedly tried to get past me and close to DVa. I gave her several verbal warnings and physically blocked her each time. She then kicked me in the shin, maybe to try and get past in the confusion. I then physically restrained her from causing any further harm. She struggled and in the process broke her forearm. Did I not respond appropriately?" Putting her tinted aviators on her head, Pharah sighed in exasperation and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "No..I mean yes...well to us it was justified. But I bet she will make up a story claiming you attacked her, along with getting some cronies to be witnesses.

Mimicking Pharah, Hellhound perched his own sunglasses on his head and frowned unhappily. "That would be problematic. The best solution would be to kill her. Give me two hours and I can make it look like an accident of some sort." Shuddering at the thought of Erik murdering an innocent girl, Pharah shook her head vehemently. "No Hellhound! That sort of reasoning is out of the question! You are here to get acclimated to being around normal people, not cause an incident." Huffing angrily, Pharah turned around and almost ran into DVa. The young korean celebrity crossed her arms and gave Pharah a questioning look. "Hey what happened back there? Did Houndy go nuts again?" A few seconds later Mercy and Tracer joined DVa, their expressions obviously wanting context as to what happened outside.

Pharah quickly summarized Hellhound's actions, making DVa make a sound of disgust. "That's it? I bet that girl is from CelebStar, those guys are scummy even by paparazzi standards. Trust me, they have been doing stuff like that forever. Gimme a minute." Quickly pulling out her smartphone, DVa began swiftly typing with a focused stare. Arching an eyebrow in surprise, Pharah looked to Mercy for guidance. Only to be met by a confused shrug and a snort of laughter from the blonde doctor. "I suggest we listen to Hana this time. She has more experience with these sort of things. But enough standing around, lets get settled into our room. From what the clerk told me, our accommodations are the very best."

Taking the glass and steel elevator, the group arrived at the top floor. Mercy handed out the room keycards to everyone and with a theatrical flourish opened the door to the penthouse suite. The clerk had not been exaggerating when he said the room they were using was the very best in the entire hotel. A wall of windows revealed the bustling city of Seoul below, complimented by a stylish arrangement of furniture. The central living room was large enough to comfortably fit twenty people, with enough high-end chairs and couches for everyone. On the left and right sides, there were marked doors leading to the individual bedrooms. There was also a fully stocked kitchenette, several massive holographic entertainment screens, and a collection of the best modern gaming devices.

DVa suddenly huffed indignantly and put her phone down. "There, that should take care of those scuzzballs. I dunno about you guys but I am gonna take a nap! Grab me if you need me!" Before any of the other team members could respond, DVa had already zipped into her room and closed the door. Mercy looked at the watch on her wrist and then back at the door to the hallway. "Genji and Zenyatta should be here in a few minutes. We might as well take the time to get settled in." Tracer nodded in agreement and quickly found the room that had been assigned to her. She closed the door and almost immediately the sound of a shower being turned on emanated from behind the door. Mercy turned to Pharah and Hellhound and pointed to the two rooms at the end of the row of doors. "I believe you two are down there. Hellhound why don't you relax while we all relax. I am sure Fareeha would be willing to keep you company." Pharah immediately gave Mercy an exasperated glare, only resulting in Mercy giggling happily and flitting away to her own room.

Pharah sighed in annoyance and wearily motioned for Hellhound to proceed. "She is right, we might as well unpack while we have the chance. If you want to go outside of the suite let me know. I do not want you to get yourself in trouble while you are alone." Hellhound nodded once and took off his sunglasses. "Understood." The next few minutes were occupied by everyone unpacking and getting settled in. Tracer emerged from her room in a new set of casual clothes and a towel around her wet hair. Giving Hellhound the cold shoulder, Tracer breezed past him and began making some tea in the kitchen. Pharah had simply dumped her luggage in her room and returned to the common area to keep an eye on Hellhound. The scarred man had kept himself occupied by thoroughly combing the penthouse with a portable scanner in search for any listening devices.

The sound of the entry door opening announced Genji and Zenyatta's arrival. The cyborg ninja carrying two large suitcases as Zenyatta's floated in behind him. While Genji went to put away his luggage, Zenyatta's approached Pharah and Hellhound. "Greetings friends, I hope you had a pleasant journey." The omnic gave each of them a slight bow, Pharah returning one in kind. "So far, there was a little...incident when we got here though." Pharah frowned as she mulled over just how badly the story could be spun based on Hellhound's actions. Tilting his head slightly, Zenyatta rested his hands on his knees as he took a seat on a couch. "Are you referring to the photographer who was injured?" Pharah looked up quickly, the worry clearly evident on her face. "How do you know about it? Has it already spread that quickly?" Zenyatta held up a hand to calm Pharah, "it seems that the young miss Song is quite adept at dealing with people like the paparazzi. It was on the radio as we were driven here that she released a statement explaining the whole incident. She declared that your friend was simply doing his best to protect her when he was assaulted. The news company associated with the photographer issued a public apology in the face of quite an outcry."

Pharah's eye rows lifted in surprise as she cast a glance over towards DVa's room. "Well, that is good news. I guess I forgot that DVa is used to being in the spotlight and dealing with these kinds of problems." Pharah turned to look at Hellhound who was examining a table lamp suspiciously. "You should thank DVa when she wakes up. She saved us a lot of trouble." Hellhound looked up blankly and nodded, "roger." Slowly rising from his seat, Zenyatta watched as Genji entered the living room. "Well I need to do my daily meditation. Genji thank you for carrying my luggage." Genji bowed deeply in response. "It was no problem master, I am going to fix myself some food so I won't be joining you just yet." Bowing back, Zenyatta laughed softly and began making his way to his room. "That is perfectly alright, it is important to take care of yourself." As soon as Zenyatta entered his room and closed the door, Genji made his way to the kitchen and began rummaging around in the large refrigerator.

Mercy emerged from her room and joined Tracer and Genji in the kitchen. "Genji do you ever take off your armor? I know it was designed specifically for you but it must get uncomfortable after awhile right?" Genji walked over to the counter with a block of cheese and picked out a knife. "I take it off occasionally. But contrary to your belief it is quite comfortable, I have no problem sleeping in it." Once he finished cutting his snack, Genji detached the part of his helmet that covered his mouth, revealing part of his heavily scarred face. Taking a seat in a recliner, the cybernetic ninja leaned back and sighed contentedly. "So do you all have any plans for the rest of the day?" Tracer zipped over next to Genji in a blur of blue light and nodded excitedly. "Yup! We are having a girl's night out!" Mercy arched an eyebrow curiously as she poured herself a cup of Tracer's tea. "We are? I do not remember talking about it at all." Tracer made an irritated sound and removed the towel from her hair. "We are talking about it now. C'mon Angela, it has been ages since we have gone out and done something fun. We have the rest of the day to have fun and tomorrow we will be back to being serious. It is important to blow off some steam every once in awhile right?" Mercy took a long sip from her teacup and sighed in resignation. "If you are absolutely adamant about this girl's night I guess I have no reason to oppose it." Tracer let out a victorious cheer and turned to look at Pharah. "C'mon Pharah! It will be fun I promise!" Taking a step backwards, Pharah held up her hands placatingly and gently shook her head. "No you and Angela can go, I need to review and prepare for tomorrow's mission

With a devilish smile, Mercy swept up behind Pharah and poked her back. "No, if you are planning to be a sourpuss and not go you are sorely mistaken. Like Lena said, it is good to have some fun." Pharah opened her mouth to object but was silenced by a wave of Mercy's hand. "No excuses Fareeha, you are coming with us, doctor's orders." Pharah let out a loud sigh, "fine fine, but...um...I don't have anything to wear." With an embarrassed look on her face, Pharah admitted that she had only brought the bare essentials on the trip. Some plain t-shirts and cargo pants were all she had packed, not expecting to go out on the town. With a happy cackle, Tracer zipped away only to return with her purse in hand. "Then we have some shopping to do! C'mon Angela! I am buying!" As Pharah was dragged out while stammering in embarrassment, Hellhound and Genji shared a confused look. "Do not mind them, once Lena sets her mind on something it is almost impossible to make her let go." Genji hid a small laugh behind his hand as Hellhound shrugged and returned to searching for any possible spying devices.

An hour later, the three women returned with several shopping bags in hand and a flustered Pharah in tow. "Really I don't think those clothes look good on me! I am perfectly fine with wearing-" Pharah was cut off as Mercy pushed her into her room and let out an amused laugh. "Stop being so modest Fareeha, now go take a shower and get cleaned up. When you are done call for me so I can help you with your makeup." Giving up on trying to reason with the blonde doctor, Pharah begrudgingly stepped into the warm shower. The truth was she did not want to look silly in front of Erik. " _He barely knows how to function normally, he has no fashion sense whatsoever. Get a grip Fareeha! Angela is trying her best so you should as well."_ Reassured, Pharah took a quick shower and then let herself be set upon by the make-up wielding Angela.

Eventually the time came for the women to depart. DVa had enthusiastically agreed to the idea of a girls night and now wore a blonde wig to hide her hair. The smaller Korean girl wore some fashionably ripped jeans along with a bright yellow shirt that hung slightly off one of her shoulders. A pair of large glasses and pink sneakers completed her bright outfit. Tracer wore a pair of tight burgundy red pants and a t-shirt with a jet fighter design, topped off with heeled boots and small ring earrings. Mercy had gone for a more subdued look, wearing black loafers along with black leggings, a blue skirt, and white knit sweater. "C'mon Fareeha, get your arse out here! Stop being a ninny and let's go!" Tracer knocked lightly on Pharah's door lightly as Hellhound, Zenyatta, and Genji watched with slight interest. While the women were out shopping, Zenyatta and Genji decided to teach Hellhound how to play Shogi. Hellhound had learned fairly quickly and now the three were clustered around a coffee table that had the Shogi tiles on it. "Don't rush me! These pants feel much too tight, are you sure they are the right size?" The door opened to reveal an almost completely different Pharah. Mercy, Tracer, and DVa smiled and made impressed noises as Pharah fidgeted uncomfortably. Gone was the bland and utilitarian Pharah, replaced with a well groomed woman who was dressed impeccably. Pharah wore heeled black boots and a pair of tight leather pants that accentuated her toned legs. On her torso she wore a dark blue crop-top that left a small section of her midriff bare and a dark brown leather jacket. "Damn you look good Fareeha! Angela you were right she does look good in those pants." Tracer continued to examine Pharah as Angela smiled proudly. "Of course I was right, boys what do you think of Pharah's outfit?"

Angela giggled as Pharah glared daggers at her, nervously playing with her silky black hair as she glanced over at Hellhound. Genji and Zenyatta looked over and both nodded respectfully. "You look very nice Pharah, wouldn't you agree Genji?" You could hear the smile in Zenyatta's voice as Genji gave Pharah a thumbs up. "My master is correct, you clean up very well Pharah." Everyone turned to look at Hellhound who looked up from examining his Shogi pieces. "Those clothes do not look suitable for combat, practically any bladed weapon could go right through those clothes." Tracer rolled her eyes as DVa smacked her forehead in exasperation, Mercy simply giggled and turned to Pharah who was trying her hardest to keep the blush off her face. "Well I guess I should have expected as much. Well I guess it is time for us to go, will you three be alright ordering your dinners?" Genji nodded as Zenyatta bowed and waved a hand at the four ladies. "We will manage, now go and enjoy yourselves. By the end of tonight I feel our friend Hellhound here will be a veritable Shogi master." Casting a discreet glance over, Pharah locked eyes with Hellhound. As his icy blue eyes burned into hers, Pharah could almost feel the anxiety radiating off him. But as quickly as it came the moment passed and Hellhound was back to arranging his Shogi pieces. "Alright luvs let's get this show on the road! Hana lead the way!" With an excited cheer, Tracer, DVa and Mercy practically dragged Pharah to the waiting elevator and pushed the buttons for the ground floor.


	17. Chapter 17

Pharah fiddled with the hem of her jacket, looking around to see if anyone was laughing at her. The Egyptian woman's thoughts were interrupted by a pale hand on her shoulder. "Fareeha relax, you look great! Stop being such a...how do you say? Negative Nancy." Taking her hand off Pharah, Mercy leaned back into the plush backrest of their private booth. The group had chosen a nearby club as their drinking destination, not wanting to pay for expensive taxi trips. The club was almost completely full, the entire building crowded with locals and travellers enjoying the festivities, the loud thumping of bass notes were more felt than heard as a DJ mixed and matched music. Nearby, a dance floor was covered in dancing bodies while bartenders filled drink orders at a frenzied pace.

Squeezing through the crowd, Tracer and DVa appeared each carrying a tray full of various drinks. Setting the trays on their table, Tracer and DVa sat down and exchanged mischievous looks. "Alright luvs, first order of business. A toast!" Handing out what looked like neon blue martinis, Tracer waited until everyone had a drink in hand. "I just want to say it is an honor to work with you all. Both old and new friends are a welcome addition anytime! Now let's get the first official girls night started!" Mercy, Tracer, and DVa all cheered happily as they toasted each other, Pharah simply decided to smile and try to act like a responsible adult while she toasted. After draining their martinis, each of the girls took a different drink from the trays. DVa grabbed a colorful fruity cocktail. Mercy chose a long island iced tea. Tracer nabbed a gin and tonic. After a few moments of deliberation, Pharah decided on a fancy looking beer. As the girls drank, DVa slammed her fist onto the table and grinned excitedly. "Okay time for girl talk! You know what that means? Love talk!" Turning to look at Tracer, DVa pointed her finger accusingly. "Lena! Any girls in your crosshairs?" Tracer laughed lightly and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hrmm...not really. There was a girl I was interested in for awhile but work just ended up being too much to balance. What about you Hana? Being a celebrity means blokes are probably lining up to meet you." DVa took a long drink of her cocktail and wiped the excess from her lip on the back of her hand. Slumping dejectedly, DVa watched as the drinks vibrated in time with the music. "Man it sucks! It's been so long since I had a boyfriend! Being a celebrity means everything I do is watched. If I tried going out with a regular guy he would be stalked by paparazzi twenty-four seven. Don't even get me started on dating other celebs! Bunch of attention whores really, they would only date me for exposure. Is it to much to ask for someone to join the team I can date?" Grinning slyly, Mercy gently set down her drink. "What about Lucio? He seems charming, not to mention good hearted. There is the possibility he might be joining us." Tracer cackled merrily as DVa blushed a bright red and stammered awkwardly. "I mean yes but no...but he is...oh come on Angela that's mean!" DVa put on her best pouting face as Tracer patted her shoulder consolingly. "Aww does lil Hana have a crush? Should we give you and Lucio some alone time tomorrow?" Pharah let herself smile a bit as she drank her beer, enjoying that someone other than her was being teased.

Still pouting, DVa pointed at Mercy accusingly. "Oh yeah?! Well..umm...what about you and Houndy? You are always fussing over him and taking off his shirt and stuff. Maybe you have a crush on him!" Now it was Mercy's turn to laugh as Tracer nearly spat out her drink from giggling. "Oh Hana he is nothing more than a patient. I am a doctor remember? I will admit Hellhound is quite impressive physically, but that is all there is to it. I am more concerned about fixing his mental state than trying to seduce him." While DVa and Tracer drank, Mercy gave Pharah a knowing look. Making the Egyptian soldier glare back in exasperation. "So what about you Fareeha? Any blokes you fancy lately?" Tracer rested her chin on her hand as Pharah coughed in surprise. "What? No! I mean...no not really, like you said I do not have the luxury to try to date right now. Our mission is too important." Pharah glanced over to see Mercy suppressing a giggle and willed herself to keep from blushing. Tracer nodded in agreement and sighed morosely. "Yeah I hear ya. It would be nice to have someone. I mean there is nothing like a good shag to to brighten up someone's mood." DVa spluttered in astonishment as Mercy rubbed the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Lena I think we meant more along the lines of companionship, not just sex." Tracer finished off her drink with a shrug. "Yeah that too I guess."

Suddenly a man wearing a red jacket approached their table with a friendly smile on his face. "Hello ladies, would you mind any company tonight?" DVa rolled her eyes knowingly as Tracer shook her head. "Sorry mate, girls night. Better try your luck somewhere else." Not put off by Tracer's polite refusal, the Korean man pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket and made a show of flipping through it. "Are you sure? My friends and I would be more than happy to pay for your drinks." DVa leaned over and spoke to the man in Korean, her tone indicating it was not a friendly conversation. Holding up his hands in surrender, the playboy backed away slightly. "My apologies ladies, enjoy your night." As the jacketed man disappeared into the crowd, Tracer let out a sound of annoyance. "Ugh I swear no matter where you go there will always be someone to spoil the mood." Pharah finished the last drops of her beer and perused the drinks available on the table. Tracer and DVa got up and made their way to the dance floor, making Mercy smile happily. "It is good to see Lena happy. That argument with Hellhound on the plane really soured her mood. Hopefully tomorrow those two can work things out between them."

Pharah nodded as she watched Tracer and DVa dance together. Though DVa's dancing was more akin to flailing about in time to the music. "It would be nice for them to get along again. I will admit Hellhound can be a bit obtuse about certain topics." Mercy nodded sagely as a waiter came by with a new set of blue margaritas. "In time I am sure Hellhound will be more...amicable when talking to someone other than you." Pharah made a show of huffing indignantly, making Mercy laugh merrily. "Angela I don't know where you got that idea. Simply outrageous." Letting herself loosen up a bit, Pharah laughed softly as she adjusted her shirt, a pleasant buzz enveloping her as the alcohol made its way into her system.

Tracer and DVa returned to the booth, both with flushed cheeks and breathing somewhat heavily from dancing. "Jesus Hana you nearly took that guy's eye out, you could probably turn your dance into a martial art." DVa stuck her tongue out at the British speedster and discreetly readjusted her wig. "Ha ha so funny Tracer. Don't think I didn't see you dancing with that girl. No bringing someone back to the hotel young lady! You probably wouldn't even get to do anything with Houndy ready to beat up anyone who looks suspicious." Tracer smiled and ignored the Korean gamer's remark, picking up a blue martini and looking at Mercy. "Angela did you order us another round?" Before Mercy could respond, DVa had snatched up a note that was on the drink tray. After reading it, the diminutive girl made a sound of disgust and crumpled the note in her hands. "It's from that guy that tried to schmooze his way up to us. Says he is sorry and to enjoy the drinks. Yeah sure I bet he was just trying to butter us up." Shrugging noncaringly, Mercy picked up a martini and sipped from it. "Well it doesn't mean we can't enjoy some free drinks. What say we have another toast?" Tracer and DVa immediately agreed, leaving Pharah to sigh slightly and pick up a glass. "Angela you act refined but I bet you were quite the vixen when you were younger." Mercy scoffed at the statement as she tried to keep a grin off her face. "Anywho, to a successful mission!" Clinking their glasses together, the four women downed their drinks and resumed chatting.

Pharah leaned back in her seat and smiled, perhaps going out was not so bad. Disregarding the outfit she was forced into, Pharah had to admit she was enjoying the impromptu girl's night. Trying to get Mercy's attention, Pharah went to talk to her but found her mouth had suddenly gone numb. Perplexed, Pharah gingerly touched her lips as time seemed to slow down. " _What's happening? I...I don't feel so good.."_ Looking down at her now empty martini glasses, Pharah's eyes widened in horror as she noticed a barely visible residue in the bottom of the glass. She had been drugged. Looking up, Pharah watched as her friends went from talking animatedly to slowly talking in incoherent sentences. " _Phone...phone! Call Erik!"_ Pharah's brain screamed at her as she clawed her phone out of her pocket. Fumbling to push the right buttons, Pharah could feel the foggy darkness of unconsciousness quickly overcoming her. " _Nononono! Erik!"_ The last thing Pharah saw before losing consciousness was a bright red jacket approaching their table.

Pharah's sleep was full of hazy memories, something trying to tell her that she was in danger. There was a rough jolt and somehow Pharah was able to open her eyes. She was in a van, propped up against a seat like she was resting to anyone who looked. Mercy, Tracer, and DVa were all out cold and in similar positions, but they were not alone. Three Korean men sat next to them chatting with each other as a fourth drove the van. Up front, the man in the red jacket smacked the driver's head lightly as they drove over another large bump. " _Fuck! Fucking scum! Move Fareeha!"_ Try as she might, the best Pharah could manage was a slight twitch of her fingers. As her mind raced trying to think of any way to escape, something buzzed in her jacket pocket. " _My phone! I still have it! But...but I can't do anything!"_ As Pharah mentally screamed in frustration her phone continued to buzz until it went silent.

Suddenly the van came to a halt and the men began clambering out of the car. After a few seconds, Pharah was roughly grabbed and carried into some sort of building. Her head pounded painfully but it took all of Pharah's willpower to keep herself from blacking out again. Eventually she was dropped uncaringly onto a couch as the men began talking animatedly from somewhere nearby. There was a grunt and Pharah felt Mercy's head come to a rest on her shoulder. " _Thank God they are ok! Lena and Hana must be close."_ From the edge of her vision, Pharah could see Tracer's and DVa's feet splayed out next to Mercy's.

As the kidnappers talked, Pharah tried everything she could to regain control of her body. Unfortunately whatever she had been drugged with was still going strong, the best Pharah could manage was to limply roll her head to the side and let out a whisper of a groan. However, Pharah suddenly felt Mercy twitch and the Egyptian woman watched as Mercy's eyes fluttered open. For a few seconds Mercy's eyes looked around hazily, obviously still foggy from the drug. But the doctor regained her senses quickly and soon her eyes were darting around in a panic. Finally, Mercy locked eyes with Pharah and softened somewhat in relief. " _Stay calm Angela. We will get out of here I promise."_ Pharah willed with all her might to convey an attitude of confidence with her eyes to her friend, trying her best to hide the panic that was quickly consuming her.

The minutes passed by agonizingly slowly, Pharah mentally screaming as she tried to get her body to move. Pharah felt her stomach tighten as the men stopped talking and could be heard walking over to the immobile women. Closing her eyes, Pharah grimaced as she felt a calloused hand caress her hair. The men all began talking in soft tones, seemingly enraptured by the women in their clutches. Pharah screamed internally in anger as a hand ran up her leg and caressed her thigh. " _When I get out of here I am going to castrate every last one of you bastards!"_ As more hands began to grope her, Pharah felt the bile in her throat rise in total revulsion. Suddenly her jacket was taken off and Pharah felt heavy breathing on her neck. As she prayed to everything and anything to help her endure what was coming, Pharah heard a sharp crack.

Opening her eyes, Pharah saw the kidnappers turn quickly towards the source of the noise. The dark hallway was silent until the playboy in the red jacket whispered to his thugs, pulling out a switchblade from his pocket. As the men pulled out various knives a flurry of shuriken flew out of the darkness and embedded themselves in the kidnappers. As the thugs cried out in pain, Genji sprang out from the darkness like a cybernetic panther and tackled the playboy to the ground. Quickly disarming him, Genji spun and deflected two knives with the scabbard of his sword, leaping up and delivering a kick to the head of one of the brave thugs. As the Korean men yelled angrily, they were cut off by the sound of splintering wood. A door on the opposite side of the room swung open as Hellhound charged inside. Delivering a running tackle that would make a pro rugby player proud, Hellhound slammed his prey into the ground as chaos erupted in the confined space. Fortunately for them, the group of armed thugs were no match for the two Overwatch agents. In the brief span of time it took to subdue all the men, one could see the stark contrast between Genji and Hellhound. Genji was the epitome of precision and efficiency, taking down his opponents with a flurry of kicks and punches while dodging all incoming attacks. Hellhound on the other hand was a brilliant example of overwhelming force. With Hellhound there was no grace or poise, just pure force beating his foes into submission. The thugs managed to cut the former Talon agent several times, but were rewarded with broken bones and pulverized skulls.

As soon as it began, the fight was over. The kidnappers lay on the floor in various stages of defeat as Genji quickly rushed over to examine the drugged women. "When you called we knew something was wrong. We heard a man speaking we translated the part we heard. Something about taking girls." Pharah felt her limbs slowly regaining control, as she let out a drunken sounding slurring voice. Genji helped her sit up straighter, giving her a good view of Hellhound tearing through drawers and belongings. In the middle of helping Mercy sit up, Genji let out an exasperated sigh and looked over his shoulder at Hellhound. "For the last time Hellhound they are not Talon! Just some local scum." When Hellhound ignored him and continued searching, Genji made an irritated noise and resumed helping Mercy. After sitting up all the girls, Genji stepped back slightly. "I will be right back, we..um..commandeered a limo. Don't worry it was in the parking lot. Just hold on and we will get you back quickly." Rushing out the door, Genji disappeared into the night as Hellhound stopped his ransacking. Walking over to the still mostly incapacitated girls, Hellhound dragged all the men over to the closest wall and propped them all up against it. Pharah watched in confusion as the stone faced man confiscated all the blades and stepped back. "Hellloun..wha..you...dun…" Pharah tried to get her still numb mouth to form coherent words as Hellhound selected out red jacket's switchblade.

Slowly walking up to the thugs with switchblade in hand, Hellhound flipped open the knife as Pharah's eyes widened in realization. "Huonn! Nahh!" She tried to call out to stop him, knowing what he was about to do. But Hellhound either did not hear Pharah or simply ignored her as he leaned down and cut open the first thug's throat. The sound of gurgling gasps filled the room as the thug tried to breathe with a cut trachea, blood gushing out and drenching his tacky clothes. The rest of the men began screaming in terror or obviously pleading with Hellhound to spare them. In short order the men were all gagged with balled up towels, their screams muffled to soft cries of terror. One by one, the kidnappers had their throats cut by the emotionless Hellhound until the last one left was red jacket. As Hellhound towered over him, the terrified playboy could be seen sitting in a slowly expanding pool of urine. Putting away the switchblade, Hellhound squatted down until he was eye to eye with the ringleader. Pharah felt her body finally coming back to life and turned to look at her friends sitting next to her. Mercy's eyes were squeezed shut, her face taking on a haunted look of a weary doctor. Tracer was as pale as a ghost, simply watching in shocked horror. DVa looked like she was torn between crying or throwing up, her skin almost visibly green. Turning her head back, Pharah found herself staring into Hellhound's icy blue eyes. The others might not be able to tell, but Pharah saw what Hellhound was feeling. Pure unbridled rage. The kind of rage she had seen in soldiers who had watched their best friends be killed in front of them. At this point Pharah knew that was no stopping Hellhound, all she could do was hope he was satisfied when he was done. Moving to a kneeling position, Hellhound grabbed the ringleader's neck and slammed his head into the urine soaked floor. As the man whimpered through his gag Hellhound lifted the man's head up and slammed it back down again. And again. And again. Eventually no sounds came from red jacket, just the wet smacks of flesh hitting floorboards and the crunch of broken skull. In the middle of lifting the now dead man's head, a shout of astonishment was heard. Genji stood in the doorway, frozen in shock at the sight before him. A row of men with their throats cut like cows at a slaughter and Hellhound with a pulped head in his hands. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Genji blurted out as he rushed over and pushed Hellhound off of red jacket's corpse. "How can you do this?! In front of these poor women no less?!" As Genji motioned to the shocked audience on the couch, Hellhound glared into the glowing green visor in front of him. "Staging a crime scene, gang attack, no witnesses." Genji stared down the unrepentant man in front of him. It was clear to everyone that Hellhound was just making an excuse but at this stage it was pointless to try and reason with the soldier. Making sound of disgust, Genji went over to Mercy and Tracer and put their arms over his shoulders. "Just help me get them to the car." Nodding once, Hellhound easily picked up DVa and Pharah and followed Genji out the door.

Pharah fought to keep her eyes open, the peaceful embrace if sleep beckoning to her. She was both physically and mentally exhausted. It was clear that Hellhound's mental state would be called into question after this. But how could Pharah explain to everyone without revealing her relationship with Hellhound. Finally, Hellhound eased Pharah into the plush seating of the limo and sat down next to her. As Genji took the wheel and drove away, Pharah leaned her head against Hellhound's shoulder and let herself drift off to an exhausted sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

Pharah groaned as she sat up in her hotel bed. There was a painful throbbing she could feel behind her eyes and her throat felt as dry as sandpaper. She was still wearing her clothes from the previous night and they stuck to her skin uncomfortably. Slowly standing up, Pharah leaned against the wall as the events of the previous night slowly came back to her. "Oh god Erik what have you done?" She whispered to herself as she changed into some fresh sweatpants and a shirt. The bedraggled Egyptian slowly opened the door to her room and walked out into the living morning sun shone brightly through the large windows as Zenyatta sat on balcony in a seemingly peaceful meditative state. Genji was nowhere to be seen but Tracer and Mercy sat at the dining table nursing cups of coffee. Pharah already knew what was going to be the first topic of discussion and she looked around for Hellhound. He too seemed to have disappeared and Pharah suppressed a groan as she shuffled over to the coffee pot. Pouring herself a cup she joined the other two women at the table with weary eyes. Tracer's hair was sticking up in odd places and faint hints of eye-shadow could still be seen on Mercy. "Mornin Pharah." Tracer gave a half-hearted greeting as Mercy simply sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hands. Taking a sip of her coffee, Pharah watched as Zenyatta hovered slightly above the ground. "Is Hana up yet?" Pharah's question was met with a nod from Mercy and a sad sigh from Tracer. "She is...not handling things well. What she saw last night will stay with her forever. Also since she is smaller than us the after affects of the drugs have been quite rough on her. Last i saw she was hugging the toilet and throwing up into it." Mercy spoke in a quite monotone voice that made Pharah wince inwardly. Mercy could almost always be counted on to try and brighten up a bad situation but it seemed that not even the angelic doctor was able to put a good spin on recent events.

"So...where is Hellhound?" Pharah grimaced as she took another sip of coffee, it was going to have to be talked about eventually, but that did not make it any less painful for Pharah. "He an Genji went out fer a shoppin run. Frankly i dont give a rat's arse the reason why, i just can't look at him right now." Tracer took a swig of her own coffee and glared at the table as she balled up a fist in frustration. "I'm just goin to say it. What happened last night was absolutely fucked. If we weren't onna mission right now i woulda cuffed that psycho and shipped him back in a cage! That was straight murder! How can we say Overwatch is not a gang of rabid vigilantes when we have one of our own gutting prisoners like a butcher!" Pharah winced as Tracer's voice rose in volume and cast a quick glance over at Mercy. Pharah knew why Hellhound did what he did. But revealing that she was in a relationship with what most would argue as an unstable psychopath, Pharah could only nod sadly as Tracer vented. She wanted to defend Hellhound, but knew that right now nothing could make up for what he did. Mercy took a long gulp from her cup and gently set it down on the table as she steepled her hands in front of her. "Lena...you have every right to be angry. But Hellhound is-" She was cut off as Tracer stood up abruptly and pointed at the door "is an unhinged killer! Doesn't matter what his reason was for killing those poor sods, it does not excuse what he did! Angela please, you have to realize we are playing with fire here and it is only a matter of time before one of us gets burned!" Mercy simply closed her eyes and waited for Tracer to finish before continuing. "He may be dangerous yes, but he needs our help. He risked his life to save you from that burning building and he saved Pharah as well. He was a...a plaything for Talon. A tool to cause chaos and harm. If we turn our backs on him now what does that say about our ideals? If we write him off as a lost cause we may as well just give him back to Talon. I think he did what he did not because he is a bloodthirsty killer, but because it was his way of protecting us. Yes his methods were extreme to the highest degree, but that is the only way he seems to know how to solve problems. Talon took his humanity away, turned him into a killer like they did with Amelie. If there was a chance of bringing back the Amelie we knew I know that all of us would try to help her become normal again. No matter what she may have done under Talon. There is more to him than what most people see Lena." Pharah wished she could hug Mercy for defending the man she loved. Tracer gave Mercy a somewhat hurt glare, clearly the topic of Amelie/Widowmaker was still a sore spot for the British speedster. Letting out a frustrated growl Tracer sat back down in her chair, running a finger across the smooth tabletop idly. "So how are we going to tell Winston what happened? One of us is going to have to explain what happened. No matter how much we want to we can't sweep this under the rug." Mercy nodded slightly and leaned back in her chair, causing her unusually unkempt blonde hair to fall over her shoulders. "I will tell him, but i believe we should wait until after this mission is over. There is no point in worrying Winston over something that has already happened."

The faint sound of a toilet flushing heralded DVa's arrival. Out of everyone present she seemed the most out of sorts. Her brown hair was slightly frazzled, there were bags under her eyes, and her normally upbeat attitude was missing entirely. The petite girl shambled over to the kitchen as she absentmindedly tied the belt of her neon pink bathrobe tighter. Grabbing a coffee cup, DVa poured herself a cup of coffee like the rest of them and made her way over to the table. Easing into a chair, the korean girl took a long gulp from her coffee and grimaced slightly. "Hana i thought you did not drink your coffee black? Usually you have a decent amount of creamer in yours." Angela looked at Hana with a slightly worried expression as the abnormally quiet girl set down her cup. Hana spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice, one that was more in line with her youthful appearance. "I don't. But right now i need to get the taste of barf out of my mouth." Angela simply nodded as Lena scooted her chair closer to Hana and rubbed her shoulder. "You okay luv?" Closing her eyes, Hana shook her head slightly. "No...i'm not like you guys. I have never seen someone get killed up close before. I only fought omnics in the past with my meka and even when i helped rescue people i never saw anything too...graphic. But last night...i dunno if i can look at him the same anymore." Lena frowned and sighed tiredly. "Yeah, i wish there was a way for me to get your mind off it but i know there really isn't anything i can do." Opening her eyes, Hana looked over at Mercy sadly. "I guess i never really understood why everyone was so scared of Hellhound before this...I mean...he just seemed kinda weird but i never really saw him as something dangerous. Sure his brain problems or whatever were kinda creepy when they happened but...shit...just thinking about what happened makes me feel sick." Mercy patted Hana's free hand as Pharah watched the conversation silently. Before all this Hellhound had seemed to be at least somewhat recovering from his conditioning. But after what happened Pharah was scared that he would never be able to free himself from his demons. It made her heart feel heavy and she just wanted to scream in frustration. " _I know there is a good man under all of his Talon conditioning. I wish i wasn't the only one who could see him turning out as a normal person."_

The sound of the front door opening made everyone stiffen slightly as two sets of footsteps came closer. Coming into view, Hellhound and Genji each had a paper shopping bag full of various items. Hellhound was wearing a simple black t-shirt and cargo pants while Genji had on a blue shirt and sweatpants over his armor. Setting down his bag in the kitchen, Hellhound frowned and looked at Genji questioningly. Putting his bag next to Hellhound's Genji made a motion with his hand as if saying "go on". Letting out a soft sigh of resignation, Hellhound raised his head and looked at the women sitting at the table. "I...what I did last night was wrong. I see that now. Agent Genji discussed with me why my...methods..were inexcusable. I accept full responsibility for my actions and will comply with any punishments in the future. I…" He stopped and scrunched up his face like a grade-schooler trying to figure out a hard math problem. Turning to Genji, Hellhound gave him a confused look. "Do i really have to say why? I do not see the point in-" Genji silenced the tall man with a raised hand and pointed to the group of women at the table. "They need to understand why you acted the way you did. If one does not try to explain their reasons then nobody will understand and any trust you have gained will be lost." Hellhound picked at the sleeve of his shirt absentmindedly as he nodded and turned back towards the group. "I did what i did because...because i think i was angry. Recently i have been experiencing these..um..bouts of emotion. Talon training removed my emotional capacity to facilitate clear decision making and tactics. Lately i have begun remembering past missions. One of the previous missions involved me working as security for a…" Hellhound paused as he frowned again and moved his jaw like he was silently trying to find the right words. "I was security for a field interrogation of a female operative. The methods used were...they were not pleasant. When i saw what the men were trying to do to you all i lost my composure. All i could see was you three being...interrogated like in my memories. I felt angry and i feared that anything other than a permanent solution would not be enough. I know my explanation is not the best but i hope it sheds some light on the incident."

Standing silently and staring straight ahead like a soldier at parade rest, Hellhound was silent as everyone mentally digested what he had disclosed. "One of the first steps to enlightenment is confronting your demons. I believe that Agent Hellhound here acted in a way like any scared or angry family member would. For is everyone in Overwatch not like family? You all trust each other with your lives and in times of stress it is easy to fall victim to your instincts." The calm synthesized voice of Zenyatta sounded nearby as the monk slowly floated inside from the balcony. Gesturing to Genji, Zenyatta nodded sagely as he came to rest on a couch "My pupil confided in me and asked for guidance. What happened was tragic but all experiences can be learned from. Mister Hound is a very troubled soul. While i do not condone his actions I commend him for his willingness to learn and be taught by others. I am confident that with time, patience, and compassion, Mister Hound will become a truly enlightened individual." Genji gave his master a deep bow and nodded in agreement. "Master told me to view this as a test of understanding those who are different from us in many ways. So i tried to explain to Hellhound what he needed to do to change for the better." Pharah wanted to give Zenyatta a giant hug but restrained herself and simply to a sip of coffee. She made a mental reminder to thank Zenyatta in private later. Maybe she will talk to him sometime and he might give her some insight like Genji. Mercy stood up with a smile and straightened out her frizzy hair. "That was wonderful Zenyatta. I thank you for your kindness and wisdom. We should all take your words to heart and try to guide Hellhound to the best of our abilities." Tracer simply gave a half-hearted shrug and stared at the table. Clearly she was not convinced but starting an argument now was obviously not a smart move. DVa stared into her cup of coffee with an unreadable expression on her face, obviously the events of the previous night still fresh in her mind. Clapping her hands twice, Mercy leaned against the kitchen counter and spoke to everyone gently. "We can talk this all over after the mission. Hellhound, thank you for trying to learn from your mistakes. I think we should all relax and ready ourselves for the mission tonight." Not waiting for anyone to argue, Mercy turned around and went back to her room, emerging moments later with a book and reading glasses. As Mercy took a seat in a plush recliner, DVa polished off her coffee and went back to her room. Tracer began to amicably chat with Genji as Hellhound shared a quick look with Pharah. "I will be in my room until needed." As much as she wanted to follow Hellhound talk with him, everyone would notice her going into his room like a concerned girlfriend. Sighing in resignation, Pharah found a datapad and began reading up on Lucio."

The day passed without anything noteworthy happening. Tracer made a point to avoid interacting with Hellhound the few times he came out of his room. Mercy spent some time talking with everyone, clearly trying her best to help with the strained mood hovering around. DVa spent the entire time glued to various game consoles but at times could be seen glancing at Hellhound's room nervously. Eventually the sun set and everyone began preparing for the meeting with Lucio. Pharah and Hellhound were once again dressed up as DVa's bodyguards while Tracer and Mercy changed into some business casual clothes. To any outsiders the group would look like any standard celebrity entourage. Zenyatta chose to stay at the hotel room and monitor all the various communications while Genji was to keep a lookout from nearby rooftops. The sun had set and everyone stood in the common area making final preparations while DVa stood in front of a mirror fiddling with her hair nervously. "Hana for the last time you look great, if you keep fussing over your hair you are going to accidentally undo it." Mercy smiled as she put a reassuring hand on DVa's shoulder and tried to boost her confidence. SIghing loudly DVa turned around and looked at Pharah. "Pharah what do you think? No offense but i feel like you will be brutally honest instead of Angela or Lena." DVa struck a pose as Pharah lowered her sunglasses. DVa as usual was dressed in a very colorful ensemble. Pink designer high top sneakers with black kneesocks, a pink skirt, a white halter top with the phrase "NERF THIS" in pink and black, and a blue varsity style jacket with her gamertag on the back. Taking a second to look DVa over, Pharah gave the nervous girl a thumbs up and a smile. "I think you look fine. I don't really have any fashion sense but you look like you stepped out of a magazine. Very stylish." DVa seemed to straighten up slightly and took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Alright, lets go before i change my mind." While the group walked out, Zenyatta waved goodbye as he sat in front of several laptops connected together with various communication applications. As the group entered the elevator Pharah put a finger up to her earpiece and cleared her throat softly. "Sparrow this is Eagle do you read?" A moment later Genji's somewhat mufled voice sounded clearly in her ear. "I read you Eagle, back door is clear." Pharah nodded to Hellhound as the doors opened as she switched radio channels. "Owl this is Eagle do you copy?" The group passed the nervously smiling receptionist and began walking to the back door as Zenyatta's calm voice answered. "I copy Pharah, oops, i mean I copy Eagle. May you have safe travels." Pharah could not help but smile slightly at Zenyatta's attempt at military style communications while Hellhound opened the back door and glanced around. The only person in the back parking lot was a driver waiting in an idling SUV with heavily tinted windows, seeing DVa's entourage the driver started the car and unlocked the doors. Everyone piled in until it was just Hellhound and Pharah standing outside. Giving Hellhound a serious look Pharah nodded towards the city. "Do you remember the rules of engagement for this mission?" Adjusting his black sunglasses Hellhound nodded seriously. "Lethal force is only to be used if given permission by you, Mercy, or Tracer. Do not cause physical harm to anyone unless told otherwise. If i have any questions regarding actions to take i am to wait for confirmation before proceeding. Stay close to agent DVa and do not let her out of visual range." Nodding once, Pharah opened the door and sat in the back of the SUV next to Mercy as Hellhound got into the passenger seat in the front next to the driver. As the car smoothly pulled out into the city streets Pharah could only hope that nothing would go wrong.

Traffic slowed to a crawl as they got closer to the stadium Lucio was in, clearly the man had a worldwide appeal as throngs of paparazzi and fans crowded near the rear entrance. No less than six burly security guards formed a wall of muscle as they held back the rabid hordes. Several police officers stood nearby but it looked like nobody was dumb enough to try to break into the backstage parking lot. The driver slowly inched the SUV past traffic and after a quick check-in with guards the large black and chrome vehicle was let past the guards. Of course this set off a wave of paparazzi trying to push past the guards to try and get a photo of the unknown person allowed backstage. The sound of an enormous crowd cheering could be clearly heard even past the stadium walls while the thumping beat of the bass could almost be physically felt. Parking in a somewhat secluded nook of the parking lot, the driver simply unlocked the car doors and gave a respectful nod to Hellhound. Pharah and Hellhound were the first out and after helping everyone exit the SUV the pair took their spots at the front and back of the group. Following a somewhat starstruck stadium staff member, Pharah led the group through several tunnels and darkened hallways. Several times the group was slowed down by stadium employees trying to get an autograph but the menacing form of Hellhound kept the interruptions to brief greetings or waves. Finally the group entered the backstage area and were promptly assaulted by a tidal wave of noise. A sold out stadium was cheering, clapping, and screaming excitedly as Lucio's voice rang out from massive speakers. "Thank you for an amazing night Korea! It is always great to see those who love music come together! Obrigado! I will treasure the memories of tonight and i can guarantee i will come back again!" As the noise reached a crescendo Pharah grimaced and wished she could find something to plug her ears with. Looking back it seemed Pharah was not the only one. Mercy had her fingers in her ears and a somewhat pained smile on her face as Hellhound simply stood with a slight frown. Tracer on the other hand seemed fine with the noise as she kept trying to peek past the wall of musical equipment and out onto the stage. DVa seemed unaffected as well but shuffled from foot to foot nervously while she waited. Finally the crowd began to quiet down and Lucio rounded the corner wiping some sweat off his forehead with a towel. He was dressed in his almost iconic outfit, a green tank top and black shorts with a dreadlock ponytail. Flanked by a crew of music techs, press agents, and various other individuals Lucio smiled widely as his gaze landed on DVa's group. Breaking away from his own entourage Lucio began to jog over, immediately Pharah saw movement out of her peripheral vision and knew that Hellhound was getting ready to intercept the unknowing DJ. Putting up her hand in a fist, Hellhound froze then returned to his spot in the back with a slight nod of understanding. Stepping aside to let Lucio through, Pharah felt like chuckling as the normally confident DVa stood still trying to not appear flustered. "Hana! It is so great to see you! How long has it been?" Swooping in, Lucio gave DVa a hug causing her to squeak slightly and blush profusely. "Oh um h-hey Lucio! You look good i-i mean you look healthy and stuff, yeah it has been awhile." After getting a hug from DVa, Lucio stepped back and bowed slightly to everyone else. "Hello! Are you Hana's friends? She said she had something important to talk to me about. Am i going to be a secret agent? Maybe fight off an alien invasion?" Laughing happily, Lucio's gaze fell on Hellhound and he whistled softly. "Geez Hana you have bodyguards now? I thought you hated that kinda stuff? Though i can't say he isn't intimidating. Guy looks like he eats nails for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." DVa let out an awkward laugh and nervously rubbed the back of her neck. Clearly seeing DVa struggling, Mercy stepped forward and smiled at Lucio as she extended a hand. "Hello mister Dos Santos, i am a work associate of Hana, is there a place we can talk privately?" Giving Mercy's hand an enthusiastic shake, Lucio nodded in a curious manner and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Yeah we can talk in my dressing room, follow me!" After guiding DVa and company through the backstage area, they arrived in a nondescript hallway with several doors. Opening the door that had his name taped to the front, Lucio gestured for everyone to enter and sat in a plush chair. Everyone entered except for Hellhound who closed the door and promptly began to stand guard in front of the dressing room. Grabbing a bottle of water from a nearby minifridge, Lucio smiled happily and unscrewed the cap. "Soo...what is this top secret thing we are gonna talk about?" As Tracer began poking around the room like a curious cat, Mercy and DVa sat on a couch and exchanged a quick look. Taking a steadying breath, DVa leaned forward and fixed Lucio with a serious stare. "Lucio...do you wanna join Overwatch?" Lucio froze mid drink and couched slightly as he swallowed his water. "Wow, you don't beat around the bush do ya? I mean...why me? I am just a DJ." Mercy smiled and pulled a phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through it. "Don't be so humble mister Dos Santos. We know how you...re-appropriated vishkar sonic technology during your period in the favelas." As Lucio froze in place with a scowl Mercy held her hand up placatingly. "No we are not here to arrest you or anything. Hana is telling the truth. We have secretly restarted Overwatch. Along with recalling old members we are recruiting new ones we believe will help shape the future. You are one of those people." Leaning back in his chair, Lucio let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Wow...i mean...wow...growing up i heard so much about Overwatch and all the good stuff they did. I couldn't believe it when all that stuff happened and Overwatch was shut down, i always believed that Overwatch were the good guys. No matter what the media said you guys did." Leaning forward, Lucio Mercy and excited smile and rested his arms on his knees. "I guess what i am saying is...when can i start?" With a happy squeal DVa almost tackled Lucio out of his chair with a backbreaking hug. "ohmygodLuciothisisgoingtobethebesteverwecantalkand-" Noticing Lucio was having trouble breathing, DVa let go and blushed profusely. "Sorry! I just got um..i am really happy you joined." Giving the Brazilian DJ a shy smile, DVa tried to compose herself as Tracer tried to keep herself from bursting out laughing. Smiling warmly at DVa's reaction, Mercy put away her phone and held out her hand to shake. "You can start right now, we actually are on a mission right now and it would be great if you could assist us."

After spending several minutes informing Lucio of what happened and various other tidbits of information, Mercy nodded seriously as Lucio rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So these Talon guys have a secret base and you need help scoping out the place? Sure i can help ya, you just gotta know the right people, and i know a lot of people." Everyone stood up and Mercy gestured to Tracer and Pharah. "We forgot proper introductions. My name is Angela Ziegler or Mercy, this is Lena Oxton who you might know as Tracer, and lastly this is my good friend Fareeha who is also called Pharah." Lucio stood with his mouth slightly agape for a few seconds and after a few seconds jumped up excitedly. "You mean THE Mercy and Tracer?! Holy-moly i thought you guys looked familiar but i mean two legendary Overwatch agents coming to recruit me?! Wow i am honored it is really nice to meet you." Mercy simply gave the excited Lucio a warm smile as Tracer laughed softly and shook Lucio's hand. "Aww you are sweet luv, i wouldn't say legendary..maybe amazin...but it is nice to hear people still remember the good ol days of Overwatch." Turning to Pharah, Lucio extended a hand and nodded respectfully. "Any friend of Hana's is a friend of mine. Nice to meet you Pharah, does that mean you are a new recruit like me?" Giving Lucio's hand a firm shake, Pharah gave a shrug and a somewhat sad smile. "Sort of, it is a long story. We can talk about it later." Lucio nodded respectfully and nodded his chin at the door. "So who is the big guy? Looks really mean and tough but if he is with Overwatch he can't be that bad, right?" The mood in the room noticeably became awkward as everyone either avoided his question or simply ignored it. "It is...a long story…" Mercy had a smile on her face but it didn't reach her eyes, causing Lucio to frown slightly. "Uhh..okay i guess. So how soon do you you need this info on the secret base?" Mercy paused and after a moment of thought stared directly at Lucio. "How fast can you get it?"


End file.
